Every Rose Has It's Thorns
by Ashley the Great Sunflower
Summary: RWBY College AU. Original, right? I just wanted to try my hand at writing a RWBY Fanfiction. Includes White Rose, Bumblebee, brief Ladybug. I like my ships, okay? Brief appearances from other RWBY characters, though none of them are really important. Just cameos. Rated M just in case I feel like doing something M-rated with this sucker.
1. Arrival at Beacon

"Don't worry, I got it." A redhead girl said to the cab driver as she pulled her luggage out of the trunk. She looked up and shaded her eyes with her hand. A massive set of buildings towered above her, with the one in the centre looking like a mini skyscraper. There was a massive metal gateway that led into the courtyard of what looked like a large puzzled castle that decided to sprout additional towers and buildings. Despite how it sounded, it looked quite modern. Most all the buildings were metal, some with glass walls.

Hundreds of people were milling about in the courtyard, darting this way and that. Some people were handing out flyers; some were looking as lost and confused as our redheaded cab rider. Who still hadn't paid the man yet.

"Ehem," came the disgruntled voice of the driver, who was holding his hand out expectedly. "That'll be 23 dollars Miss…?"

"Oh! Sorry! Right. And don't call me miss, my name is Ruby," the girl said as she fumbled around in her purse. She pulled out a beat up twenty and a rumpled up ten. "Keep the change," she said as she began hauling her bags through the grate. A sign on them said 'Welcome to Beacon University".

Ruby walked through the massive crowds, getting flyers shoved into her hands left in right with requests to join various clubs and organizations. She accepted them mindlessly, forming a small stack in the crook of her arm. She had one purpose in mind, and it was proving to be more difficult than it should.

"Are you a new student?" came a voice from behind her. A blonde woman dressed in purple was standing behind her, peering at her through a pair of fancy-looking glasses. She carried a riding crop in her hand, and was waving it aimlessly from side to side.

"Um, yes. Could you please direct me to the Red Dorm please? I'm…kinda lost." Ruby rubbed the back of her head and chuckled slightly.

The woman pointed in a direction without a blink of an eye, and fired off a bunch of directions, about a third of which Ruby caught. "Um. Thanks. I think," she said as she stumbled off in the general direction of the woman's crop.

Thirty minutes later, Ruby stumbled over the threshold of her new dorm room, which was bare of any personal touches at all. The only difference from the myriad of empty rooms she had passed by was a set of black bags at the foot of the far right bed.

Ruby set her bags down in front of the other bed and collapsed in a pile of limbs and clothes. She wanted to pass out and sleep for a day, but she had a crazy sister to find. Who could literally be anywhere on this massive campus. She located her cell phone and plugged it into a socket by her bed, charging up the long-dead battery.

As she made to walk out and find her sister, she heard someone emerge from the bathroom. She stopped and waited to say hello to who was presumably her roommate. A brunette girl with a cat-ear headband walked into the room and stopped.

"You…are Ruby Rose." It wasn't a question.

"Hi! Yeah, that's me, Ruby. And you are?" Ruby beamed and held her hand out to shake. The girl stared at it for a few seconds and shook it quickly.

"I'm Blake. Blake Belladonna."

"That's a really pretty name. I'd like to stay and chat, but if I don't locate my sister she's gonna blow a gasket. I told her I'd find her as soon as I arrived on campus."

"You have a sister? And you didn't arrive together?" Blake said, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, she's not _really_ my sister. She's my half-sister. Same dad, different mom."

"So why are you here? Did you choose this college because she goes here?"

"Sort of. My mom…kinda died. A few months back. Car accident. Drunk driver and such." Ruby's cheerful demeanor disappeared for a few seconds, but then she brightened up. "But Yang and Dad said they'd be happy to take me in, as long as I went to college here with Yang. So…here I am."

Blake nodded, the explanation satisfactory. "That's a unique name, Yang. I used to know a girl with that name. Is your sister a tall blonde who sounds like her ego is three times larger than her body?"

Ruby burst out laughing. "That's my sister. How'd you meet her?"

"I never really met her, I just know who she is. We went to the same highschool together." Blake averted her eyes as she spoke, then piped back up. "I do know however that she hates waiting."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh crap! I gotta find her! Bye Blake! Nice meeting you!" Ruby shouted behind her as she barreled out the doorway and straight into another girl.

This one was a little taller than her with a snow-white hair tied in a ponytail. They collapsed to the ground, bags going everywhere and various books and articles of clothing spilling out.

"Oh. My God. I am _so_ sorry!" Ruby squeaked, immediately gathering things up and handing them back to the rather disgruntled girl. "I should have looked where I was going, I was just in a big hurry to look for someone and I didn't see you and I'm _really sorry_-"

"Shut up and give me that." The girl said, snatching her things out of Ruby's hands. "You're in a public place. Act like it."

Ruby blinked, stunned by the snappy reaction. "I said I was sorry…" she said in a small voice.

The other girl sighed. "Fine. Just don't do that again." She stood up and offered Ruby her hand. "I think I'm actually in the room across from you, so to make it up to me you may help me unpack."

Ruby smiled and gladly agreed to give the girl a hand. "My name is Ruby by the way, and you are?"

"Weiss. Now hurry up, I don't have all day."

…

An hour later, Ruby heaved a massive sigh and slid down the wall to sit down. She had finally finished helping Weiss unpack. Weiss gave a small smile as she looked around the room, satisfied.

"You…have a _lot_ of stuff." Ruby commented as she picked herself back up. "Again, I'm sorry for running into you."

"What were you in such a hurry for anyway?" Weiss asked, curious.

"Oh I was just going to…going to….oh _shit._"

"What? What is it?" Weiss said, a little shocked.

"I'll catch you later!" Ruby was already halfway down the hallway as she yelled back.

Weiss was still for a few minutes, her mouth still in a small 'o' shape. She then shook her head. _What a peculiar girl_, she thought to herself.

Ruby bolted across the courtyard, spinning around scanning for the signature blonde hair that was…somewhere in this accursed maze of a college. She was just about to give up when she was tackled from behind by what felt like a bull.

"Ooof!" she exclaimed as she fell to the ground, pinned down by the weight of the girl who sat triumphantly on her back.

"Found you!" she crowed, a sinister smile on her face.

"Yaaang! Get _off!_" Ruby said, smacking the ground with her fists as she struggled to get out of the ironclad lock of her sisters knees.

"Where have you _been!?_ I've been looking for you for the last _hour._"

"Making friends, dummy. I met my roommate and the girl across the room. I helped her unpack."

"Why on earth would you do that?"

"I um, may or may not have run into her and spilled all her stuff."

Yang let out a barking laugh. "Still a massive klutz eh? So? She cute?"

Her face turning beet red, she screeched at her sister: "Shut _up!_ And get off of me already, you're heavy!"

Laughing, Yang, stood up and pulled her sister up with her. "Now give me a hug. I know you missed me." She said, holding her arms out.

Still grumbling and red in the face, Ruby wrapped her arms around her sister. "Now, who's my roomie?" Yang said, grinning.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, slightly confused.

"I know a guy. I got us rooms across from each other, so you obviously met my roommate. Is she cool? Someone I can chill with?"

Ruby concealed a small smile. "Oh _yes_. You'll get along just _wonderfully_."

Yang frowned. "Uh oh."


	2. Settling In

Ruby yawned as she fell back on her bed, which was adorned with the reds and blacks she loved. Today had been quite the day. Across the hall she heard yet another shouting match beginning, and she looked across the room at her roommate.

Blake pointedly ignored the noise for a few minutes. But Ruby could see her eyes twitching. It had only been a day, but due to the constant loud, abrasive headbutting of egos across the room, Ruby could already tell when Blake was…slightly peeved.

She bit her lower lip as she tried to concentrate on her book, but Ruby could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Want me to go shut them up?" Ruby said, smiling slightly. Blake jumped and looked as if she had just remembered someone else was in the room.

"Huh? Oh, um, no thanks. It's okay." She then returned to pretending to read her book, but from the look on her face Ruby guessed she was less into the book and more into something along the lines of strangling two certain loudmouths.

Ruby let out a sigh and swung her legs off of the bed, ready to go scold her sister for what seemed to be the billionth time today. Blake opened her mouth as if to say something, but a small glare from Ruby shut her up. She was just as peeved as her reading-denied roommate, so she marched across the hall and rapped on the door.

When she got no response, she opened the door, only to receive a face full of pillow.

The shouting stopped almost instantly.

"Oh. Um. Hey sis!" Yang said, blushing a little. She was sitting on her bed, which was missing a certain pillow. Weiss was hiding a smile, badly.

"Can you two please keep it _down?_ Weiss, what did my sister do this time."

"Hey!"

"Your _Neanderthal _of a sister is seemingly unable to agree to a simple washroom schedule."

"Hey, I don't know what that word is but it doesn't sound nice. And I don't see the point of a schedule; why not just use it when we need to?" Yang said, crossing her arms.

Weiss huffed. "Because I don't trust you to not use up all the hot water. All I'm asking is to set up an agreement as to who showers first, and I would like to be that person."

Ruby face palmed. _These two will argue over anything…_

Earlier, they had been arguing over how to divide up the space in the refrigerator. Weiss was apparently a vegetarian and didn't want Yang's assortment of steak, fish, and bacon touching her food. And before that, Weiss had found Yang's bed to be an 'unacceptable' distance from hers, and had tried shoving it further back along the room, failing miserably.

Ruby or Blake had mediated no less than eight similar arguments so far today, and were both quite frankly sick of it. So Ruby marched her sister out of the room and had a hushed talk with her.

"This is the _eleventh_ silly argument _today_." She said in a hushed, stern voice. "I am tired of being the neutral third party to your stupid squabbles. So you are going to be a sweet, agreeable person for the remainder of this semester or we are going to have words."

Yang smiled. "Oh really? What kind of words?"

"Oh I don't know, you've gotten me pretty flustered today. So I guess it isn't _my_ fault if a comment or two about…_certain reading habits_ of yours got out."

Yang blanched. "You wouldn't _dare_." She said, her voice noticeably smaller.

Ruby grinned an evil grin. "Oh I would. Unless you _shut the hell up and be nice_."

Gulping, Yang nodded. "Fine. But this will not be forgotten, Ruby Rose."

Walking back into the room, Yang sat quietly on the bed and told Weiss she could shower first. Weiss looked mildly surprised and stared at Ruby with a look that quite obviously said 'How the _hell_ did you do that?'

"Now apologize to each other. _Both_ of you." Ruby said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the two.

After reluctant apologies were coaxed out of the two, Ruby nodded, satisfied. "If I hear another peep out of you two that isn't about something positive, you are both going to regret it."

Yang blushed slightly and Weiss gave a huff. But they agreed to be quiet.

Ruby walked triumphantly back to her room and found Blake right inside the door. She blinked, obviously not expecting to be caught there.

"I, uh…" she stumbled, at a loss for words for once. "I…wasn't listening."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, putting on a look she had seen her father have many times, when he thought they had done something naughty. It usually made Ruby feel very, very guilty and it looked like Blake was feeling the same, squirming uncomfortably under Ruby's Glare of Doom.

Then she smiled and lightly punched Blake's shoulder. "I don't mind, silly. You could have just come outside and helped if you wanted."

Blake blinked again and after a few seconds returned to her normal stoic self. Nodding, she returned to her bed to read.

Ruby flopped back down and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Blake piped up curiously.

"What are these 'certain reading habits' Yang has?"

Bursting into barely contained laughter, Ruby nearly fell off the bed.

"What? What is it? What did I say?" Blake said, quite confused.

"Nothing, nothing. Let's just say Yang reads…slightly less-than-Christian literature."

"…but I thought you weren't Christian?" Blake said, arching her eyebrow.

Ruby was quiet for a few seconds. "It's, um, just a figure of speech, Blake."

"Oh." Still looking thoroughly confused, Blake made a pouty face and was obviously thinking hard.

Ruby giggled at the face she was making and took pity on the girl. She whispered into her ear what she really meant, and Blake's eyes went wide as dinner plates.

"_Oh._" She said again, not quite sure what to make of this revelation.

Ruby giggled again. "Yep."

Blake blinked again and smiled a little. "I suppose I should keep this a secret then?"

"Please," Ruby said, still giggling a little.

The soft light of the evening gave way to moonlight and the two girls settled down and got ready for bed. The next day Ruby planned on taking a look around the campus with Yang, and invited Blake along.

"U-uhm, I don't really know…" she said, stuttering in a very un-Blakey way. "I mean, I don't want to intrude or anything…"

"Oh it's not a big deal! Besides, you said you two went to the same high school. I'm sure Yang would love to see you!" Ruby said, beaming. Blake flushed slightly, although Ruby barely noticed. "Come on, I wanna hang with you! You're my roomie; we should hang out, y'know?"

Blake considered a moment. "That makes sense. Very well, I'll accompany you." She said in her normal dry voice, as if her little stumble never happened.

"Yay! I figured we could look around after breakfast and a little grocery shopping. I didn't get a chance to go shopping today since Yang _conveniently _forgot to take me with her when she and Haughty Mc Princess over there went."

Blake laughed a little, hiding her mouth behind her hand. "They do get along beautifully don't they?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and chucked a pillow playfully at Blake, who swatted it away and returned the gesture in kind.

"Anyway, it sounds like a plan." Blake said, punching her pillow into shape. "If I recall correctly there is a little café down the street from the campus that does breakfast. How about we eat there and then go downtown to shop quickly?"

Ruby nodded. "Sounds good. G'night Blake!" The redhead flopped back onto her bed with the gracefulness of a rock. About ten minutes later a soft snoring noise was heard coming from her bed.

Blake quietly got up and put the covers over Ruby. "Idiot. You'll get cold that way." She muttered softly. Sitting down on her own bed she stared at the ceiling and went over the events of the day. In a day, she had made quite the connection with the quirky, energetic little redhead. She smiled and wondered how Ruby seemed to put out an aura of friendliness that made even the Ice Princess seem less haughty.

She was happy she had found a friend so easily. And Ruby seemed the perfect friend.

But she was a little worried about meeting her sister. She had caught glimpses of her when she had yelled at the two to shut the hell up, but she had never stayed for more than a minute, preferring to let her roommate handle the talking part.

She was never much of a talker anyway. Honestly, she was surprised she said as much as she did to Ruby. She heard snuffling from over there and saw that Ruby had shifted, and a leg was hanging out over the bed. Laughing quietly to herself, Blake pulled her blankets up to her neck and settled down for the night. Tomorrow should be fun. She hoped.

…

"Ruby! Ruby get _up!" _A voice was quietly intruding on the dreams of Ruby Rose, High Queen of the Kingdom of Marshmallows.

"Who dares to challenge her majesty in such a way…?" In her dream, Ruby said this in a very commanding tone to no one in particular. However to the brunette standing over her it sounded more like an incoherent pile of nothing.

Putting her hands on Ruby's shoulders, Blake shook her. Hard. "RUUUUBYYY!"

"Hot chocolate!" Ruby shouted as she jolted upright.

Blake eyed her quizzically. "What?"

Ruby blinked a few times and then rubbed her eyes. "Oh. Um, morning Blake! And uh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Hot chocolate?" Blake asked, a small smile playing on her face.

"Quiet." Ruby said playfully as she dragged herself over to the dresser and pulled out some clothing to wear. Blake was already dressed and ready to go, in similar clothes to yesterday.

Once Ruby was satisfied she was awake and ready, the duo walked across the hallway and rapped on the door of their friends. After a few minutes of knocking it was opened by a very drowsy looking Yang in a loose, flowing nightgown the color of melted butter.

"Whattimeisit." Yang said, merging her sentence into one very slurred word.

"Time to go to breakfast. Where's Weiss?" Ruby shoved past her sister and walked over to Weiss's bed, where the snowy-haired girl was peacefully at rest. "Hmm…" Ruby said, as she pondered over a polite way to wake her up.

Blake finished waking Yang up by the way of introducing herself properly.

"I'm Blake. Blake Belladonna." She held her hand out to the blonde, who rubbed her eyes.

"Blake?" she said, a faint spark of recognition in her eyes. She then leaned close to Blakes face and took a hard look. "Blake? Blake Belladonna? Classroom B-34, Mr. Evans? Stuffy old idiot who smelled like he didn't have the word _shower_ in his vocabulary?"

Blake laughed and shook Yang's hand. "You remember me."

Yang, fully awake at this point, smiled and wrapped Blake in a bear hug. "Duh! You were the smartest kid in class. You let me copy your notes and you basically were the entire reason I'm here now. How could I forget?"

Blake's face was somewhere in between cherry and maroon colored, but luckily a shriek from behind caused Yang to spin around and forget momentarily about her old friend.

"Well, Weiss is up." Ruby came over to the two girls, a nice red mark on her cheek suspiciously in the shape of a hand. "She's getting ready now."

Yang covered her mouth trying to hold in giggles, while Blake inspected the mark to make sure nothing was too badly off.

"Blake, I'm okay! I just kind of surprised her is all." Ruby said, gently pushing the brunette away. Blake didn't look convinced, but decided to let it go.

A few minutes later Weiss appeared dressed in her usual fancy garments. "I'm ready to go. Where is this place anyway?" she asked as she adjusted her shoes.

"Down the street a ways, we gotta drive. I know where it is though." Blake said, making a point to look directly at Weiss and away from a certain half-naked blonde.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Yang said.

"You moron. You're still in your nightgown!" Weiss said in an exasperated voice. "Seriously, can you get any more clueless?"

Yang was about to say something right back at her, but a pointed glare from her sister made her think twice about it.

"I'll, uh, yeah. Oops. I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later they were on the road, with Blake driving and Yang sitting in the passenger seat, the two catching up on life and exchanging old anecdotes. Ruby and Weiss sat in the back seat, with Weiss making a point of ignoring everyone else in the car.

Even though the place was only fifteen minutes away, it felt like an eternity to poor Ruby, who couldn't exactly join in with her sister and Blake's conversation, and the only other person in the car made it quite clear she wasn't a car conversation kind of person.

Ruby sighed. Hopefully the rest of the day would be a bit better and slightly less chaotic than this morning.

**Author's Note**

**Longer chapter today! I kind of got carried away here, didn't expect it to drag on so long o.o**

**But next chapter we get to see the foursome exploring the campus and having a day that's going to be much more chaotic than Ruby hopes for, so that should be fun! But I just had so much fun writing this, so I got a little off track xD**

**So, a few beta readers had a few problems with this chapter, especially with Blake and how she acts here. **

**I know that Blake's canon character is a lot less…for lack of a better word, 'fluffy'. But this is supposed to be a light-hearted story, and seeing as neither the White Fang or the Faunus exist in this world, Blake has no reason to be a brooding, slightly more grim character. So I simply took the aspect of her character that could be transferred over, the dry and blunt part, and mixed it with a slightly clueless, easily embarrassed fluffy interior. **

**The reason for this being that I like characters like that, and to me, without the dark back-story of the White Fang, it seems to fit Blake. In my opinion anyway. If you don't like it, that's perfectly fine, but I'm not going to change it.**

**Also, a few people questioned my choice of putting Yang and Weiss in a room together. To clear it up, I don't LIKE Freezerburn. There will be none of that.**

**I do however like the amount of drama that can be created by having two ego-inflated alpha dogs butt heads constantly. Yang and Weiss are very, very similar in some aspects, but the things that make them different combined with that cause them to constantly have different opinions. They both have massive egos, while Yang is much more simple and physical whereas Weiss is more refined and intellectual. **

**Plus, Blake and Ruby are cute. I like the Ladybug ship most after White Rose, so of course I'm gonna set the two up a little. **

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review! Even if it's just a few words, it really helps me out a lot! **

**Until next time~**

**Spike**


	3. An Average Day

"Everything looks so gooooood!" A squeal emerged from a certain redhead as her eyes raced back and forth over a menu. She was sitting outside a small café at a metal table with a blue and white umbrella over it, with her three friends sitting around the table. To her right sat the white-haired Weiss Shnee, Ice Princess Extraordinaire. To her left was the quiet Blake Belladonna, fidgeting with her signature cat-ear headband. And across from her was her older sister Yang Xiao Long, who was absently chewing on a strand of her bright blonde hair.

"Will you pipe down? People keep staring." Weiss said with an exasperated tone, as she scanned the menu herself.

Ruby blushed a little. "Sorry Weiss. Anyway, what do you think you'll be getting? I like the look of the breakfast quesadilla myself."

Blinking, Weiss looked hard at the menu. "Whats that? I don't see it on here…"

"Oh it's right here…" As Ruby helped Weiss navigate the rather unorganized café menu, Yang struck up a conversation with Blake.

"I like your headband!" She said cheerily as she poked the cat ears. "You look like a catgirl from some anime."

Blake jumped a little and adjusted her headband. "I-I do? Oh. Um…thanks, I guess?"

"Yeah, it looks cute. Have you always worn one of those?"

Thinking for a moment, Blake nodded. "Yeah, ever since I was a kid."

"I could never understand the appeal," Yang said as she took a drink from her glass of water. "I like my hair as it is."

"That's because if you had a headband on it'd be a lot harder to chew on it." Blake said, smiling a little.

Yang glared at the brunette as she returned to staring at the menu. "What's good here anyway? I can't pick anything out, there's too much."

"I've always been partial to the ham and cheese wrap. It has green onions and chives in it too, it tastes great."

"Bleh," Yang said, sticking her tongue out. "Where's the _bacon_? You can't have a good breakfast without it."

Laughing, Blake began pointing out all the different dishes that came with bacon.

…

An hour later Yang was leaning back in her chair, letting out a sigh of pure happiness.

"That…was delicious," she said, motioning towards her sparkly-clean empty plate.

A perfect mirror image of her sister, Ruby agreed with a grunt. She stretched and pulled herself out of the chair to fish out her wallet. "I had it with me somewhere…." She muttered as she dug around in her purse.

"Umm…Ruby?" Blake said, laughing quietly.

"Yeah?" Ruby said, not really paying attention.

"Your wallet is sitting on our bedside table. I just remembered. I meant to remind you but…then…um…I forgot." Blake then blushed, clearly remembering something that embarrassed her.

"Hm." Ruby said, continuing to dig around. About a minute passed before her hand slowed to a stop and the realization of what her roommate said hit her. "…what did you say?"

Weiss started giggling uncontrollably, which caused Yang to start laughing as well. After a bit, not even Blake could resist and they were soon all laughing at poor Ruby's scatterbrain. Pouting, Ruby plopped back down onto the chair.

Wiping her eyes, Weiss looked at the girl who was visibly upset by this unfortunate turn of events. "Oh calm down you big dolt, I'll cover your part of the bill. But you owe me."

Ruby blinked and looked at Weiss. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yes. But you _are_ going to pay me back the instant we return." Weiss's voice was very stern and serious, but her eyes had a lighter glint to them. Ruby broke out a huge grin and threw her arms around Weiss's neck.

"Thank youuuuu!" Ruby squealed, squeezing Weiss in a tight hug.

"Urk! Ruby! Can't! Breath!" Weiss said, gasping.

Breaking away, Ruby blushed as she rushed to apologize. "Sorry! But, um, thanks."

A slight pinkish tinge to her cheeks, Weiss nodded abruptly. "Don't mention it. Seriously. I'm just doing it because I'm…a decent person."

Ruby hesitated a few seconds, and then nodded. Yang and Blake were eyeing the two with bemused looks in their eyes, and when Yang giggled slightly, Blake broke and followed suit, leading to looks of daggers from the two girls.

On the drive home, Weiss was a little less chilly and exchanged a few words with Ruby, to her immense delight. _Maybe she isn't so bad after all…_

…

"So. Where should we go first?" Ruby said, looking at a map of the campus. They had gone shopping and had deposited the food in their fridge and cabinets, agreeing to sort everything out later. Ruby had picked up a map and was trying to decipher it.

"Where are the eats?" Yang said, looking over her sister's shoulder trying to locate where a place to eat would be located.

"Didn't we _just_ eat?" Weiss said, looking at Yang with a healthy mix of admiration and distaste.

"Hey, a girls gotta know where she can get her fix of things like burgers, pizza, beer. You never know when you'll need it!"

Weiss shook her head. "I want to look at the library first. I heard it's absolutely massive."

Blake nodded her agreement and Ruby frowned, trying to locate it on the map. After about thirty seconds of mulling it over, she shoved the map in Blake's hands. "I give up. You find it."

Blake smiled and rubbed the top of Ruby's head as she took a closer look at the map. "Oh, it's right here." She said, pointing to a place on the map.

"How'd you find it so fast?!" Ruby exclaimed, rushing up to examine the map.

Laughing, Blake, pushed Ruby forward by her shoulders as she started walking. "I'll show you as we walk, it's a ways away. C'mon you two, let's move." Yang and Weiss had been waiting patiently for Ruby and Blake to finish up. Well, Weiss was waiting patiently. Yang was busy punching a tree trunk over and over again, and only heard Blake after she poked the blonde in the back of the head.

Weiss walked a short distance to the side of the three other girls, keeping her distance as she looked around at the campus. Yang had her hands behind her head and walked behind the tangle that was Blake and Ruby.

Blake held the map open in her hands, and Ruby had poked her head under Blakes arm to look at the map while Blake explained how to read it. Blake was slightly weirded out at first, having her arm around a girl a year younger than her, but with Ruby being Ruby, it wasn't long before Blake felt rather nice having Ruby cling onto her as she tried to figure out the map.

"Wait, so what does that symbol mean again?" Ruby asked, jabbing a finger at a random symbol on the map.

"You can figure that out by looking at the legend." Blake explained patiently.

"The what?"

As Blake sighed and restarted her explanation of the layout of a map, Yang walked over to Weiss and tried to talk to her.

"And what do you want?" she said as Yang approached.

"Hey, relax. Not trying to fight here. Just wanted to make some conversation is all." Yang held up her hands in front of her, signaling that she meant no harm. Weiss scowled for a few seconds, then it softened and she sighed.

"Well? Go ahead."

Smiling as she realized she was green lighted to speak, Yang began firing off questions like a toddler who just figured out how to talk.

"Where are you from?"

"My parents are from Germany."

"Were you born there or in America?"

"Here. In Washington."

"Oh cool! So you've lived here your whole life?"

"Yep."

"Do you have any hobbies?"

"Of course."

"…what are they?"

And this continued until Weiss took an abrupt right turn. Yang was about to open her mouth to ask what's up, and then promptly ran into a wall.

"Ow…" she said as she rubbed her head, grimacing.

Weiss turned around and walked over to her. "You okay?"

Yang blinked, surprised to receive sympathy from the Ice Princess. "Um. Yeah. No biggie. Just gonna have a little bump is all."

"I figured someone with such a thick skull wouldn't be bothered by a little wall. Now come on, your sister and Blake are way ahead of us."

It took a few minutes of walking for Yang to realize she'd been insulted again. "Hey!"

…

Weiss was right. The library _was_ huge.

"Wooooow!" Ruby said, detaching herself from a slightly dismayed-looking Blake and running up to the entrance, which towered at about twice her size. "That's a _big_ door."

Weiss walked up and opened the door which opened with a nice sounding creak. The library was already full of people looking around in awe at the sheer size of the place. The other three girls trailed in behind her and looked around in wonder. "You were right Weiss," Blake said quietly. "This place…is big."

"I wonder how many books are even in here." Ruby said, her eyes wide. "There must be _thousands_."

Weiss smiled at Ruby's expression of pure amazement that a library could be this giant. "Not just thousands. There are multiple floors to this library you know. It isn't just this one. I'd be willing to bet there are hundreds of thousands of books here."

Ruby's jaw dropped as she stared blankly at Weiss, who laughed and poked Ruby's chin, shutting her mouth. "Let me put that back for you."

Giggling, Ruby returned to looking around. "Oh look at that! They have paintings on that wall over there!"

Weiss looked up from browsing a shelf. "Really? Where?"

Ruby grabbed Weiss by the hand and began dragging the girl to where the artwork was hanging. "Over here! Come look, it's really pretty too!"

While Weiss was protesting as to her mode of transportation, Blake and Yang continued to aimlessly browse the books.

As Blake pulled out a leather bound book, Yang appeared behind her and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Eek!" Blake gave a small scream of surprise and jumped. Yang covered her mouth to contain laughter as Blake blushed and got an angry look on her face. "Don't DO that!"

"You're just like a kitty. Easily startled, and with ears to match!" Yang walked up and scratched Blakes head right behind her headband in between the cat ears.

Blake opened her mouth to yell at Yang, but no words came as she realized she actually enjoyed getting her head scratched like that. Her face got even redder as she realized this fact and she settled for a mumbled "I'm not a kitty…", averting her eyes from looking at the blonde-haired menace in front of her.

"Awww! You totally are." Yang said, wrapping Blake in a hug to her great surprise. But she resigned and hugged Yang back, sighing.

"You really haven't changed at all, huh?" Blake muttered, resting her head on Yang.

"Nope!" Breaking off from Blake, Yang tousled her hair again. "Now where did my sister go? I'm really bored already."

Blake pointed Yang in the right direction, still red in the face. As Yang ran off, Blake sat down on the floor with her back against the bookshelves. What had she gotten herself into?

…

The foursome departed the library with all having a new library card and each having a book or two in tow. At least, except for Weiss who needed a new bag to carry her seven checked out books.

When Ruby had seen her attempting, and failing, to carry the seven big books to the checkout counter she had rushed to help before the books inevitably collapsed along with the girl carrying them.

But, as luck would have it, Weiss took a funny step and tipped over backwards, the books collapsing on the ground around her.

With a very pissed look on her face, Weiss began angrily stacking the books back up. When she reached for her fourth, she realized that Ruby had already stacked the other four books and had begun walking back to the desk, grunting with exertion.

"Weiss, did you have to pick out such heavy ones? These probably weigh as much as I do!"

Flustered, Weiss gathered up the remainder and brought them up. With muttered thanks to Ruby, she put them in her bag and calmly walked out, although with a much more pronounce scowl than earlier.

Blake walked next to Ruby who had become very chatty, as she wanted to learn more about her sister without directly asking her. Seeing as Yang had broken off from the group to go look at a flyer about a kickboxing club, she figured this was a good a time as any.

"So…Ruby.." Blake started, not sure what she wanted to ask first.

"Yeah? What's up Blake?" Ruby said, looking at Blake with a happy gleam in her eyes.

Blake decided to ask the first question that popped into her mind. "Is Yang always so…physical?"

Ruby thought for a minute. "Are you talking about the punching trees or the random hugs and noogies?"

Noogies? What? Blake shook her head to clear it. "Um…both, I guess?"

"Yang was always into martial arts and stuff. She says that being physically active helps clear her head and her system. Especially when she's mad about something. There's a tree in her old backyard that has a huge dent in it, because it was the tree she would always go out to beat up whenever her dad or mom or teachers made her mad about something."

"And the, uh, hugging?" Blake blushed slightly but luckily Ruby didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, we both do that! Although I guess the reason I do it is because of her." Ruby thought for a minute, pursing her lips. "Anyway, I like hugs! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Don't you feel like that when you hug someone?"

"I, uh, guess it depends on who I'm hugging?" Blake said, confused a little. How did she get to this conversation?

"Ohh, I see. So like just friends, or maybe a boyfriend?" Ruby said, a mischievous smile playing on her face.

Blake's face became even redder, and Ruby noticed this time. "A-ha! So, is there someone special we're talking about here?"

"S-shut up! No, we're not! Just…talking in general!" Blake said in a very flustered tone.

Ruby nodded, although it was clear she wasn't going to forget this little conversation. "I've never had a boyfriend." She said suddenly.

Blake blinked. "Really? But…everyone loves you. Surely _someone_ has asked you out before."

Now it was Ruby's turn to go red in the face. "Well, yes….just…not the _right _someone. You know?"

Nodding, Blake said "I think I do. You mean you just never got the right vibe from someone?"

"Sort of…" Ruby said, biting her lip. "You see, I, uhm…don't really swing that way."

Blake was confused. "Swing? What's that?"

"I mean…I bat for the other team." Ruby was growing redder by the second, and Blake's utter confusion wasn't really helping.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. What does that mean?" The look in her eyes told Ruby that Blake truly didn't really get it, and wasn't just screwing with her.

"…you must have led a really sheltered life, Blake." Ruby commented.

Blake nodded. "Yeah. I never got out much, and my parents were very…uptight. So…I never really got exposed to other kids, and we didn't even have a TV. I learned everything I know from books, mostly."

Ruby felt bad for Blake, and swallowed her pride to explain what she meant…more clearly.

"What I meant Blake is…I'm…ah, well, gay."

Blake stopped walking and her mouth made a small 'o' shape. "You're…gay? Like…you like girls?"

Ruby nodded, still red as a rose. "…yeah. I never really liked boys, and I thought there was something wrong with me till Mom explained. She said she always had an idea ever since I was twelve and never really paid any special attention to boys, but a lot to girls."

Blake nodded slowly as if she understood. "Huh."

Ruby chewed her lip nervously and Blake realized she was waiting to see her reaction, and she was surprised to see a bit of fear in her eyes. She wasn't quite sure what to do, so she just gave Ruby a hug, figuring she'd understand.

A shaky sigh emerged from between Blake's arms, and she knew all was well. "Ruby…I don't really care. That doesn't affect our friendship one bit you know."

"Thanks Blake. That means a lot. I…haven't really told people yet. The only people who knew were Mom and, um, Yang. And now you."

Blake felt a warm feeling in her chest. She wasn't really sure what it was, then she realized she was really, really happy that Ruby trusted her so much even though she barely knew her. Blake smiled and held her close for a few more seconds before letting go.

By that time Weiss had doubled back and was staring at the two with badly-disguised impatience. "Why are you being so slow? I thought we were going to check out the gym! And where's Yang?"

Ruby and Blake shared a look that made Weiss even crazier. "Did I miss something here? What's going on?"

"Nothing, Weiss." Blake said softly, smiling at Ruby. "And Yang is behind us a ways, she wanted to check out a kickboxing flyer. See, here she comes now."

Sure enough, Yang was running back towards them, waving a piece of paper above her head.

Ruby let out a sigh. This day was already turning out pretty crazy. But she didn't care. This was turning out to be a great day, and it wasn't even lunchtime.

"Guys, we're headed to the gym right? You can just leave me there, I'm gonna check this kickboxing club out. It looks _awesome!_" Yang said, nearly jumping with happiness. "I can meet you guys up for lunch or something, alright? Sound good?"

The three girls nodded and decided they'd eat at the pizza place not far from the gym.

The rest of the day passed by much the same, with Ruby getting lost in the maze of classrooms and having Blake find her wandering out near the opposite end of where they were trying to go. Weiss and Yang had a small argument over pizza toppings, which Ruby and Blake solved by ordering two different pizzas.

And at the end of the day they had all gotten their class schedules, as tomorrow was Monday and classes would be starting.

Ruby flopped down onto her bed in her pajamas, listening to the thud of water as Blake showered. She smiled as she thought of the moment outside the library.

Blake was definitely one of the bestest friends ever. Ruby was looking forward to the rest of college at her side. She was really nice, funny, and trusting. Even if she was a little clueless, Ruby didn't care.

Blake was her new best friend. Flaws and all.

Ruby closed her eyes and began drifting off to sleep as she heard Blake getting out of the shower. She was just about to pass out as she heard Blake sigh. Then she felt her hands as Blake tucked the blankets around her.

"You better not be doing this on purpose you goof. I'm not tucking you in every night." Blake said as she lay back in her own bed. "Night Ruby."

Every night? Ruby wasn't sure what she meant, but she was happy Blake cared. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart. College was going to be _awesome._

**Author's Note**

**Damn. I really can get carried away, can't I? Well, whatever. I like how this turned out. **

**For any of you wondering, yes, this is going to be the general layout of the story. A LOT of talking. The activities of the girls will be explored a little, but I think it's the conversations they have during whatever happens that matter a lot more than what they're actually doing. Again, if you like it, cool beans, otherwise, well, that sounds a whole lot like a 'you' problem and less like a 'me' problem. I do plan on dialing back a little with the dialogue once the story really gets rolling, but for now, the dialogue is kinda what's moving it forward. **

**Now, I know what you're thinking. "Spike, you said this was a White Rose/Bumblebee fic! What's up with the blatantly obvious Ladybug?" Well dear reader, Ladybug is my second-favorite ship. So while I don't think I'll ever get the two in an official romantic relationship, Ruby and Blake are definitely going to share a very special relationship. **

**Also, Ruby is the only character (so far) who is comfortable with her sexuality at the moment. Blake is obviously feeling some of those feelings, but has yet to really come to terms with them. As for Yang and Weiss, well, you'll just have to see how they deal with it, won't ya?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Every Rose! Please remember to review, as it really helps me out a lot! **

**Until next time,**

**Spike**


	4. Thawing the Ice

"I can't do it Blake! I can't" Ruby said in a very distressed voice, curled up on her bed. Blake was lying down on her side on her bed, her head propped up on her arm. She was looking at Ruby with a very amused look on her face. Still in their pajamas, Blake wore a black button-up shirt and short comfy pants, whereas Ruby wore what appeared to be a red jumpsuit.

The two had woken up about an hour earlier at 5 AM due to Ruby making a mistake with her alarm clock. After apologizing profusely, and Blake saying she gets up this early sometimes anyway, they had double-checked their class schedules, only for Ruby to discover something that was, in her opinion, quite terrible.

"C'mon Rubes, it isn't _that_ bad," Blake said, smiling.

"No, it's not. It's WORSE." Ruby moaned, rolling back and forth on her bed. "It's a complete and utter _disaster_."

Blake could hardly contain her laughter, but she somehow succeeded. "Ruby. So we don't have any classes together. It's not a big deal! We can see each other outside of class."

Ruby flipped towards Blake and narrowed her eyes. "But I was hoping we could be study buddies!"

"We still can be."

"But it won't be the saaaaame…." Ruby said, dragging out the last word. "And that still isn't the worst of it!"

Curious as to what could be worse than this, Blake waited for Ruby to continue, adjusting her headband.

"Not only do I have no classes with you _or_ Yang…I have three classes…with Weiss." Ruby said, her voice getting quieter as she kept talking.

She couldn't help it. Blake started laughing. Ruby looked slightly hurt and pouted a little.

"It's not funny! She doesn't like me! How am I going to survive?" Ruby looked quite serious about her plight, so Blake slowly calmed down and swung her legs onto the floor. Walking across the room, she put her hands under Ruby's arms and lifted her up with surprising strength. Plopping her back onto the bed in a sitting position, Blake looked right at her face.

"Ruby look at me." Ruby dutifully looked at Blake. "Weiss doesn't hate you. I think."

"Well that's real reassuring," said Ruby in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"She doesn't! She probably just has a hard time making friends. Not everyone can be you, ya know." Blake said this in a very dry way as if it was totally obvious.

Ruby was having none of it. She jumped up and, helped with some loud gestures from her hands, started talking again.

"You don't understand! When she looks at me she always has this funky look in her eyes. Like she wants to pounce on me or something. Like…like…like she's a wolf and I'm a bunny!" Ruby put her hands on Blake's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Help meeeeeee!" she cried in a very pitiful manner, doing her best to put on puppy dog eyes.

"Well, what are the classes anyway? Maybe they aren't the important ones." Blake said with a slightly hopeful tone to her voice, genuinely trying to be helpful at this point.

"Psych, English, and…" Ruby dug out her schedule quick and gave it a scan. "Neuroscience."

"Oh." Blake said simply. "Um…what's your major again?"

Ruby glared slightly at Blake. "Psychology! I want to be a therapist." Ruby stated. "So…all these classes are kind of unskippable. Although I wonder why Weiss would be in my Psych _and_ Neuroscience classes…unless…"

Ruby started walking across the hall, Blake trailing behind. They quickly reached the door to Yang and Weiss's shared room, which for once was silent. Rapping on the door, Ruby soon figured out why.

Weiss opened the door and revealed a Yang-less room. Weiss was still wearing her nightgown, a small, loose little white thing. It framed her perfectly, and her hair was loose for once. Ruby realized she had never seen it outside of Weiss's long ponytail, and realized she thought Weiss with loose hair was really pretty. Weiss rubbed her eyes, as it was rather early. Which made the Yang-lessness of the room even stranger.

"If you're-" interrupting herself with a yawn, Weiss gave a small smile. "If you're looking for Yang, she's at the gym. Meeting her new club buddies. What's up?"

Slightly stunned at Weiss speaking to her as an equal, Ruby put her question a little more bluntly than intended. "What's your major?"

Blinking, Weiss thought for a second. "Um, Psychology. More specifically, Neuroscience. I want to go into research. Why?"

Ruby pointed at her schedule. "We share three classes. Psych, English, and Neuroscience. I'm a Psychology major too so I wondered why you would be taking a Psych and Neuroscience class unless you were majoring in it too."

Weiss was obviously waking up and returning to her usual Weiss-ness, as her response was rather huffy. "What, why couldn't I just be interested in the subjects? Is something wrong with _that_?"

"Well, um, no, not really-" Ruby was saying in a very halting voice. Weiss's cutting way of speaking had a tendency to make one lose their competence for forming complete sentances.

"Anyway, please leave. It is very early, and my classes start in about three hours. I was planning to get another hour of sleep or so, but seeing as that plan has been so kindly disturbed, I would like to get dressed and prepare. So with all due respect, shove off." Weiss concluded with a door shut in Ruby and Blake's face.

Blake, who hadn't spoken the entire time, decided now was a good time to interject with: "Well. Maybe she dislikes you just a _wee_ bit."

Grumbling, Ruby automatically leaned into Blake, who wasn't quite sure what to do. After a few seconds, she patted Ruby's head awkwardly.

"Blake?" Ruby asked quietly.

"What's up?"

"We're friends, right?"

Slightly caught off guard by the question, Blake stumbled over her answer a little. "Well, um, yeah. Of course we're friends."

Ruby nodded, satisfied by the answer. "Friends back each other up, right?"

Not sure where this was going, Blake answered slightly hesitantly. "I..guess so?"

"So if I say Weiss is a big mean bitch you'll agree with me?"

Smiling, Blake led Ruby back into their room and began preparing a small breakfast. "Yes. And for what it's worth, I agree with you. She can get pretty cutthroat."

"Then Weiss is a big mean bitch." Ruby said in a very grumbly tone as she sat down at their little makeshift table. "And I like cinnamon sugar on my toast."

Laughing, Blake located the cinnamon and made Ruby some toast, decided she'd like some eggs herself. Sitting down, the two ate silently. After they ate, Ruby sighed and got up. "I should probably get dressed, huh. Class with Ice Bitch starts in a few hours and I need to make sure I can find the classroom."

Blake wiped her mouth with a napkin and dug out her clothes. "I'll come with you. My classes don't start till noon. Plus, someone has to make sure you don't get lost again."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Blake and began stripping down.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! What are you doing?" Blake said in a mildly panicked voice, her face getting a little red.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, as she had just gotten out of the top part of her jumpsuit and was standing there half-nude. Looking down, she realized what Blake was panicking about. "Oh. Do you mind? We're both girls you know."

Her face getting further from pink and closer to maroon, Blake's next sentence took her a few minutes to fully finish. "B-b-b-b-but isn't it k-k-k-k-kinda w-w-w-weird? I-I-I mean s-s-s-since y-you're…y'know…" Blake then realized what she was saying and trailed off. "Um…I mean…not that it's a problem! Or anything! Just that it might be kinda weird? Maybe? Sort of?"

Ruby was staring at her tongue-tied roommate, not sure whether she should be offended or rolling on the floor laughing. "If it bothers you I can change in the bathroom, I don't mind."

"I didn't say that! I just, um…ah…" Blake was finding it increasingly hard to find words, let alone keep her eyes firmly trained on Ruby's face. _What am I thinking? Calm down Blake, she's you're friend and roommate for fucks sake! Plus, you don't…do that. Right?_

Ruby gathered up her clothes and walked into the bathroom. "I'll just change in here."

Blake was unable to find more words as Ruby shut the door to the bathroom. After a minute she just shook her head quickly and dressed herself quickly. Ruby emerged from the bathroom in jeans and a black t-shirt, complimented by her red sweatshirt. "Come on then. It's gonna be a bit of a puzzle finding this place." Ruby said in a slightly curt tone as she headed out.

Blake speed walked to catch up to her and after a few minutes of awkward silence, she spoke up.

"Um…I'm sorry."

Ruby remained silent, training her eyes on the walkway in front of her.

"Ruby, c'mon. I'm sorry for…that. You just kinda caught me _really _off guard. I didn't really know what to say…."

Ruby spun around and clamped her hand over Blake's mouth. "Apology accepted. And if this helps your peace of mind, I don't plan on asking you out anytime soon."

Blake blinked and moved Ruby's hand away from her mouth. Nodding, they returned to walking. Though she didn't really get it, a weight lifted from Blake's heart. She didn't want these complications in her relationship with Ruby. They were just friends.

Friends who do tease each other mercilessly, that is.

"So…does that mean you don't think I'm pretty?" Blake said, a mischievous smile playing on her face.

Ruby stopped in her tracks. "Well, um…that's….not the subject!" she said, a little red in the face.

Blake got in front of her and fake-pouted, putting on a façade of hurt feelings. "So you think I'm ugly?"

"I didn't say that!" Ruby was getting increasingly embarrassed, mostly because she _knew_ Blake was doing this on purpose.

"So am I pretty?" Blake said, still pouting.

"….." Ruby's first response was silence. Then she sighed. "Yes, Blake, I think you're very pretty. But you're my _friend_. I don't have any romantic attraction towards you, even you are pretty much drop-dead, take-me-how-you-want gorgeous."

Now it was Blakes turn to blush as Ruby giggled and wrapped her friend in a hug. "You're too easy to embarrass Blakey. Now come on, help me find this stupid place."

"….Blakey?" Blake said, not really sure how she felt about that one. "….Really? Blakey?"

Laughing, Ruby grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Come _on_ slowpoke, I thought you didn't want me to get lost!"

"Blakey?!"

…

A good hour of searching later, Ruby was sitting in her classroom as students started trailing in for the morning class. Blake had dropped her off at the entrance to the classroom, still seething a little about the nickname. "I'll text you when I get out. Then you gotta fetch me." Ruby said, smiling.

"Alright, but you gotta figure this place out eventually. I can't always be your guide dog." Blake said, making sure Ruby and her had each other's numbers.

Ruby tried pouting, but Blake wasn't having it. Eventually Ruby agreed to try memorizing the routes to her classes at the very least.

Interrupting her thoughts was a thud followed by a long "Owwwwww…."

Ruby looked next to her and discovered a boy with blonde hair had seemingly tripped over his own feet. "Want some help?" she asked, holding her hand out.

The boy took it and pulled himself up. "Thanks. I'm Jaune, by the way. And you are?"

"Ruby. Ruby Rose. So Jaune, you excited for English class?" Ruby said the last part in a mildly sarcastic tone.

"Nope. Not even a little bit. And I really regret picking a morning class. Not making _that_ mistake again." Jaune plopped down in a seat next to Ruby, and thudded his head down on the desk. "My roommate woke me up really frigging early too."

Giggling, Ruby told him how she had been the culprit of her and Blake's early awakening. Their conversation was cut short however by the arrival of a certain white-haired Weiss Shnee, who stalked over and sat next to Ruby, a rather standoffish look on her face.

"Um…hi Weiss?" Ruby said, slightly confused by this turn of events.

"Don't talk to me." Weiss said bluntly, looking straight ahead. "Class is starting."

Ruby looked up and discovered that their professor was indeed standing there waiting to start.

As he began class, Ruby noticed that Weiss was trying to catch her eye. She looked at her and found a vaguely apologetic look to her eyes, and Weiss confirmed it when she mouthed _Sorry_ to Ruby.

Smiling slightly, Ruby nodded, showing she accepted the apology.

…

Class was dismissed and everyone was putting away their notebooks. Except two girls sitting near the back, who were both already packed up and walking out. Ruby and Weiss walked side by side to the nearby sitting area, and sat down with a long sigh.

"That…was boring." Ruby said, lacking her usual enthusiasm.

"He sounded so _monotone_…" Weiss said in a rather defeated tone. "It was hard to even take him seriously, let alone remember what he said…"

"Hey, um, Weiss?" Ruby said, slightly nervous.

"Yes?" Weiss said, looking at Ruby with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Um, I'm sorry about this morning. For waking you up, and, um, calling you a bitch."

Weiss blinked. "You didn't call me a bitch…." She said, rather confused.

Ruby realized she never actually said it to her face. "Oh. Um…."

Weiss looked like she was going to slap her, but then she smiled a little. "No, it's okay. I was a bitch. You just caught me at a rather bad time is all."

"Oh." Ruby said, not used to Weiss acting so…relaxed. "What, um, happened?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes, debating whether or not she felt like talking about it. "Your sister happened. Up at _four thirty _in the morning to go work out. _Four thirty_! Who gets up that early?!" Weiss was gripping her chair pretty hard, and was quite obviously frustrated.

Ruby smiled meekly. "Yeah, that sounds like Yang alright. I'm sorry about her, I know she can be kind of difficult sometimes…"

"She's stubborn as a mule, overprotective of her things, and refuses to compromise on _anything._" Weiss said with an exasperated look on her face, which drew a burst of laughter from Ruby. "What? What did I say?"

Ruby wiped her eyes and held out her hand. "In absence of Kettle, I'm Pan. Kettle sends it's greetings."

It took Weiss a few seconds to realize she was being called a hypocrite. "At least I don't punch trees." She said huffily, but she had a hint of laughter in her eyes.

Ruby couldn't help it, and started laughing again. After a few minutes, Weiss joined in, and Ruby discovered that Weiss had one of the prettiest laughs she had ever heard. It sounded like a crystal wind chime.

Weiss turned a little red and Ruby was confused for a few seconds till she realized…

"Did…um..did I just say that out loud?" she said, her own face heating up.

Weiss nodded.

"Crystal wind chimes?"

The deepening of the red on Weiss's face confirmed it.

Neither of them really knew what to say for a bit until Weiss very quietly said, "Um…thanks. No one has ever really complimented me like that before…"

Ruby was surprised. "Really? But…you're, well…really pretty. How do you not get compliments?"

Weiss spoke very slowly, and looked like she was very out of her element at the moment. "I think…people are put off. By my…._abrasive_ personality."

Both girls sat in silence until Ruby reached out and grasped Weiss's hand. "Well….I think you're sweet. Like a candy. Hard on the outside with sweet sugary goodness inside."

Weiss looked like she wanted the universe to delete itself right about there. "U-uhm…thanks, Ruby. You're…you're a good person."

Smiling, Ruby pulled Weiss up and stood, wrapping her arms around the completely lost girl in front of her.

"Ruby…what are you doing?" Weiss sounded quite thoroughly confused.

"Giving you a hug, silly. That's what friends do." Ruby said, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Oh." Weiss said. Then she realized what Ruby just said. "I'm…your friend?"

"Yeah of course! I know I thought you were a big mean meanie-pants before, but…well, I was wrong. So…what about it? Friends?"

Weiss thought for a moment before returning Ruby's hug. "Friends."

After a few moments it seemed that Weiss had reached her 'Nice' quota for the day, and pushed Ruby away. "Anyway." She said, trying to regain control over the situation.

"I have classes. And so do you. So shoo. Off with you." Weiss stood up and began walking away, trying to act normal.

Ruby looked a little hurt, but decided to go about her day until she met up with Weiss in her Psych class this afternoon. So she was quite surprised when something collided into her back and wrapped its arms around her waist.

"Um…see you later." Weiss's voice sounded in her ear, sounding very quiet and soft. And then she was gone as fast as she had came, and was soon nowhere to be seen.

Weiss darted off and hid behind a pillar, trying to steady her pulse and her breathing. What was wrong with her? Was she sick? Did she pick up something at the library? At the café? She didn't understand what was causing this. Heavy breathing, increased heart rate, hotness in the face…

She sat down and held her head between her knees as she thought about what just happened. Ruby? Her friend? She thought it was impossible.

But…she remembered how Ruby had pulled her up and hugged her. Said that they were friends. Was she telling the truth?

Weiss shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Of course Ruby was telling the truth. She didn't seem like the type to lie about things like that. But…the idea of a friend was so…so…_foreign_. How did you go about being a friend anyway? Weiss decided to discuss this with Ruby later. She would probably know what to do. After all, she had already made good friends with that Blake girl.

And Weiss resolved to be a little nicer to Yang. Or, she was going to try anyway. But she was so insufferable, just the way she spoke like she was all high and might made Weiss want to just punch her right in the face.

Taking a few deep breaths, Weiss collected her thoughts. As strange and alien as the idea of _friends_ was, she decided to at least give it a shot. Who knows.

Maybe she and Ruby could be better friends than she hoped.

**Author's Note:**

**Lo and behold, White Rose you were promised, and White Rose I shall deliver! So, I feel like I should clarify a bit of confusion a few beta-readers had with this.**

**Yes, Weiss and Blake have similar characters. The idea of being such close friends with someone is a very foreign idea, but each has very different reasons for feeling this way. **

**Blake never had the chance to make friends. She was very sheltered and isolated from other kids growing up, and just never had the ability to connect to other people. When in reality, she makes the perfect buddy, being a very loving person who notices the little things. **

**Whereas Weiss suffered from typical "Rich Bitch" syndrome. Spoiled during her childhood, she was very entitled and haughty, feeling like other children were peasants. Eventually, as it always happens, she gets bullied and defends herself with hatred. So friends are repelled instead of simply not having the chance to make any. Obviously Weiss reaches a point where she regrets this, but at that crucial point she still hasn't learned any other way to interact with people, so she continues to lash out with hatred and fear even when people try to be her friend. Ruby, being Ruby, manages to find a kink in the works and wriggle her way in.**

**NOTE: Those observations are in no way canon to the official RWBY Series. Those are simply my **_**personal**_** interpretations of how those two characters would have grown up in an alternate world. They could be spot-on, or I could be talking out of my ass. You tell me. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment in Every Rose, and I hope you have a wonderful day. Please remember to review, as it really does fuel my writing! Seriously. Every time I get that little notification in my inbox that I have a review, I do a little happy dance inside. You have NO idea how much even just a little "I love this story!" or "This is pretty nice, looking forward to the next chapter" means to me as a writer. **

**Enjoy and have a wonderful day!**

**Spike**


	5. Drama Please, with a Side of Tears

Ruby wasn't quite sure what to make of her current situation. On the one hand, she had Yang, her sister, holed up in her room talking to Blake. And on the other, she had Weiss. Someone she definitely now considered a friend, even if she was a little…difficult. Ruby stood out in the hall talking with Jaune, rambling.

"Wait, wait, wait." Jaune said, waving his hands in the air to get Ruby to be silent for once. "I'm just passing through here, and you just kinda started rambling off at me. Rewind please. I'm currently about as useful as a sloth on Mars."

Ruby took a big breath. "Okay, I told you how Weiss kinda blew up at me this morning?"

Jaune nodded. Ruby had told him during lunch when she had introduced him to the Blake girl.

"So apparently…shit kinda hit the fan." And so, Ruby recapped to Jaune the events of the previous day that didn't involve her, from what she was told anyway.

**Blake**

_So, according to Blake, after she dropped me off she went back to our room to get her books and things ready for her classes…_

Blake sighed as she turned away from her roommate and began navigating her way back to their room. That girl had her wrapped around her little finger. Not that she minded all that much, but still.

Daydreaming absently, she didn't really pay attention to where she was going till she collided into another person.

"Oh! Wow, I am so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going and-" Blake stopped talking when she realized who she had run into. "Oh. It's you."

Weiss Shnee pulled herself up off the ground with a huff and dusted herself off. "You should watch your step. I could have gotten hurt there you know."

"Wouldn't make me sleep any worse." Blake replied snidely, ready to lay into this bitch after her completely unwarranted attack on Ruby.

"Ex_cuse_ me?!" Weiss said in an incredulous tone. "How could you say such a thing? You're as much of a barbarian as that blonde-haired _menace_ I'm forced to share a room with!"

"At least us barbarians have this little thing called _tact_."

Weiss let out a noise halfway between a gasp and a cough. In one of the rare moments Blake ever saw Weiss speechless, she gathered her thoughts up quickly before retorting "I'll have you know that I have plenty of '_tact_' I just prefer not to waste it."

"Oh and Ruby is a waste of tact?" Blake said, trying very hard to keep her voice from rising.

"What are you _talking _about?" Weiss exclaimed, not sure what the girl was getting at.

"This morning, _asshole_. When you blew up at my friend for no reason!" Blake was, at this point, getting rather close to Weiss's face, and Weiss took a couple steps back at this vehement burst of emotion.

"I'm sorry? I don't know _what_ you're talking about." For once, Weiss was telling the truth. She wasn't quite sure what Blake was getting at.

"You told her to _shove off_. She wasn't even being mean to you, just asking some questions."

Weiss then understood what she meant, and although she conceded the point in her heart, her mouth had other things to say about it. "At five thirty in the morning!"

"You were getting up soon anyway! First day of school, eight o clock class? Everyone actually taking it seriously and who isn't scarily good at navigating got up at six, six thirty!"

Weiss couldn't really come up with a counter-argument to this, so in response she let out a very haughty sounding huff and stormed off in the direction Blake had come from.

"Ugh!" Blake said, frustrated. She then kicked the stone walls, an action she immediately began to regret. Walking off in a huff, she got back to their apartment and packed up her things in a rather hasty and half-assed manner, then stalked back to her classroom and essentially sulked the whole way through.

_Cling!_ came the noise from her phone. Ruby had texted her, although not for the reason she thought. '_Don't worry about fetching me, found a friend! Ttyl!'_ Slightly disappointed she wouldn't be seeing Ruby until lunchtime, Blake decided to explore a little more of the campus. She did have until her and Ruby met up for lunch to screw around. The rest of her classes didn't start till 2:30.

Eventually she found a suitably gloomy-looking tree and sat down with her back against it and her knees tucked up to her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, she sat like that for almost thirty minutes. Then someone's hands wrapped around her eyes with a very loud, delighted "Guess whoooo?"

Squealing, Blake scrambled away from her captor only to discover a laughing blonde who for once was properly clothed.

"Yang you scared the shit out of me!" Blake scolded as she crawled back over to the tree. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry Blakey, I couldn't resist! You looked so sad. Tell Big Sister Yang allll you're problems!" Yang stated happily. As she said the last part she stuck her arms out from her body, apparently thinking Blake had either a lot of problems or a really big one.

"It's nothing. And don't call me that. And I'm not calling you Big Sister Yang, so stop that." Blake said in a dry voice. She then resumed her position by the tree, only this time she had a new puppy. Or, at least, that's what it felt like.

"Stop it with the puppy eyes Yang! You make me feel like I just punted a baby." Blake tried to not look at the very pitiful expression on Yang's face, but like a moth to flame, she couldn't look away.

Yang situated herself next to Blake and threw her arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"C'mon Blake, we're buddies! Sort of. You're my baby sister's best friend. Anyway, spill the beans. What's up?"

"Hmph. Fine." Blake sounded reluctant, but her face was slightly tinged pink and Yang noticed her snuggling in just a little bit. "But you have to answer a question first."

"Shoot," Yang said, ready for some really weird question.

"How far apart are you and Ruby, age-wise?" Yang blinked. She had been expecting something a lot different, but she could roll with this.

"I'm twenty one, actually. Ruby is seventeen. She's starting college early, I started school in general late."

Blake was confused. "But…we went to high school together. And I'm eighteen. How are you three years older than me?"

"Bit of a living situation fuckup there. Basically, we were kinda poor for a bit and couldn't afford to send me to actual school so my parents 'homeschooled' me. And then due to some screw-up at some office, when I did finally get the chance to go to high school, they stuck me in freshman year. I mean, learning-wise it was probably a good thing. Social life wise, nope."

"Weird." Blake said, not sure how that actually was able to happen. A shrug from Yang told her she hadn't the slightest clue either.

"Now spill. I answered your question." Yang said, squeezing Blake.

"Fine. I'm angry. At Weiss." Blake said in a grumbly tone.

"Understandable. What happened? Did you forget to call her 'Your Majesty'? Were you sarcastic in calling her 'Your Majesty'? Did you look at her funny? Did she get all holier-than-thou on you?"

Giggling a little, Blake shook her head. "No, none of that."

"Well, I'm out of ideas."

"No you aren't."

"No I'm not, but we aren't gonna get anywhere this way. What happened?"

"She, um…kinda blew up at Ruby."

Yang immediately disengaged herself from Blake and sat directly across from her. She put her hands on Blake's shoulders and stared right into her eyes, her face a mask of neutral, but in her eyes burned the righteous flames of classic Big Sister 'You-Done-Fucked-Up-By-Screwing-With-My-Baby-Sister' look.

"Come again for Big Sister Yang?" she said curtly.

"It was at like 5:30. Ruby had just figured out that her and Weiss shared a few classes together, and wasn't exactly thrilled. But they were weird classes to just be sharing by coincidence so we went over to ask her. It was a morning class, everyone with any of those early ass-crack-of-dawn classes was up already, so we thought it wasn't a big deal."

"Turns out they both have the same major. But instead of being civil, Weiss acts the total bitch and literally tells your sister to shove off."

Yang's face remained stony and impassive as she stood up and slowly began walking away.

"Where are you going?" Blake asked, slightly nervous and amused at the same time.

"I'm going to shank a bitch." Yang said in a deadpan tone. It would have been funny if Blake hadn't seen Yang's eyes a few seconds earlier.

After Yang stalked off, Blake went about the rest of her day. Around lunchtime she got a text from Ruby saying _'Sorry! But I'm having lunch with another new friend from English. I hope that's okay. You can join us if you want! But otherwise I'll see you tonight, alright?_ Blake smiled. She texted her back saying it was fine and she didn't want to intrude.

For all she knew, Ruby had a date already.

So, she went about her normal day until she returned to her room to find screaming coming from Weiss and Yang's room. As Yang stomped out of her room and into Ruby and Blake's, she saw Ruby walk out of the room following her sister, then stopping in the hall with a confused look on her face.

Catching Blake's eye, she waved her over.

"Hey, um, so…shit kinda hit the fan here. Can you fill me in on whatever the hell is happening here and then go talk to my sister? She likes you and doesn't consider you a fragile little china doll, so you can calm her down."

After giving Ruby the Cliff's Notes of her day, Blake went in to talk to Yang…

…

"And then you came by and here we are." Ruby said to Jaune, who was concentrating hard trying to keep up.

"Alright…so…your sister found out that Weiss gave you shit. What happened after that?" he said, morbidly curious against his better interests.

Ruby sighed. "My info there is slightly more patchy. Most of what I know came from a very teary Weiss and a very angry Yang. And the big fight they just had."

**Yang**

Four thirty was a good time to wake up for gym, right? Not according to Ice Princess McBitch over there who was currently cussing Yang out while she tried to get dressed.

"Weiss, chill. You can go back to bed for all I care, but I gotta hit the gym before class starts. I have an eight o' clock! Gotta get in my workout so I can really start participating in the kickboxing club." Making a few swipes at the air with her feet with accompanying sound effects, Yang left with a trail of muttered curses at her back.

Slinging a backpack over one shoulder, Yang navigated the deserted hallways and located the gym. She found that it was empty save one person.

"Great minds think alike, eh?" she said as she approached the girl she had met yesterday. She had bright ginger hair going down to her waist and was currently wearing nothing but a tank top and gym shorts. She didn't answer at first, as she was running on the treadmill, but it was obvious she had been here for a bit as she was already a bit sweaty.

After she stopped, she smiled and greeted Yang with a bear hug. "I guess that's true. Morning Yang."

"Morning Pyrrha. Spot me?"

"Sure."

Yang and Pyrrha split off after their two hour workout, having different classes and all. "Catch you later!" Pyrrha said as she went off towards the dorms, whereas Yang had a class to locate.

…

Ten o clock rolled around and Yang was walking around the grounds, free from the unnaturally-cold buildings. AC was sometimes a blessing, but seriously, someone needed to tone it down a bit. She saw a familiar looking brunette sitting against a tree looking rather sullen.

Yang decided to creep up behind her and scare her a little. Putting her hands over her eyes, she said "Guess whoooo?" which elicited the desired response.

After properly greeting and snuggling her kitty friend, Yang tried to pry out what was bothering her after answering an odd question. After learning that the problem was, surprise surprise, Ice Queen, Yang gave a few half-assed guesses as to what pushed her buttons this time.

Then she discovered that that trash-talking, bottom-feeding _whore_ had insulted her baby sister.

Leaving Blake behind, Yang made it her personal mission to go find Weiss and teach her a lesson, leaving her promise to Ruby in the wind.

She finally found her eating lunch alone. She waited patiently for her to finish her lunch, as while she may be about to deliver pure righteous justice, she wasn't _cruel_. As soon as those dishes hit the bin though, she had a firm grip on Weiss's other arm.

"Dorm room. Now." She growled, eliciting a very huffy response from Weiss, although she soon complied as she realized that Yang had a _very_ tight grip on her.

Once they reached the room, Yang blew her top.

"What the HELL are you doing chewing out my little sister? For asking a damn question?!" Yang said, nearly throwing Weiss across the room.

"Whoa, Yang, please, calm down." Weiss said, going from huffy to unnaturally peaceful at the mention of this morning's incident. "I saw Ruby earlier, I apologized, we're all good now. Okay?"

"Hell NO we aren't okay! You insulted my sister!" Yang said, getting dangerously close to Weiss, who had backed up and sat down on her bed.

"Hey, please calm down." Weiss said, looking a little scared. "What do you want me to do? Apologize again? I'm completely okay with doing so. I'll do it now, actually, I have her phone number…" Weiss's sentence turned into a mutter as she dug her phone out to concentrate.

Yang snatched the phone out of her hands. "You are _staying away_ from Ruby." Her voice was low, and deadly serious. Not wanting an argument right now, and on the verge of tears, Weiss nodded quickly.

"Can I leave now…?" she asked in a somewhat small voice.

"You just leave her alone, okay. Stay the hell away from her."

Weiss didn't need another answer and bolted from the room, tears already starting to come.

…

"Whoa…" Jaune said, sitting down with his back against the wall. "That's pretty intense."

Nodding, Ruby took a seat next to Jaune. "Yeah. I ran into Weiss crying by the girl's bathroom a few hours after that happened. She told me what happened and I brought her back to her room. Sat with her for a few hours, until, well, fifteen minutes ago."

Jaune could already see where this was going.

"Then Yang came back and…well…then shit didn't just hit the fan, it fucking exploded all over it."

"And now you're stuck between your probably crying friend and your overaggressive, overprotective sister." Jaune concluded.

Ruby nodded, her eyes a little watery. "I'm…kinda lost."

"Do…do you want me to help?" Jaune kinda didn't want to interact with either a crying girl or someone who could punch his lights out, but he and Ruby were friends, kinda. I mean, they had lunch together earlier, right?

Ruby shook her head, smiling. "No. No it's okay. I just needed to talk to someone _not_ personally involved in this. You can go now, and I suggest running. Things might still get ugly."

Jaune didn't need telling twice, and after another expression of sympathy to Ruby, began speed walking down the hall and out of sight.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby walked through the door…

…

"Yang. Calm down." Blake said, her hands on Yang's shoulders, forcing her down onto a bed. The blonde was anything but calm as she was spitting out atrocities and death threats and other unintelligible babble.

Blake wasn't sure what to do, so she tried what she now calls the Ruby Tactic. She lifted Yang up by her armpits, stood her on the floor, and wrapped her in a bear hug.

Yang shut up. Mostly out of surprise, because A. Blake just _picked her up_ and B. The social-recluse, only –friendly-with-Ruby Blake was hugging her. Hard. Yang wasn't sure what to do, and eventually hugged her back.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"It's okay. You just need to calm down." Blake said, sitting down on the bed and pulling Yang with her into a snuggle. "What's got you all worked up?"

"It's just…I hate people being mean to her. Ruby. She grew up without Dad or me, and just had her mom, Summer. I did get to visit, and while Summer was really neat, she wasn't really…protective? I guess? I mean, she talked with Ruby about _everything_ and almost never got angry. But if someone was picking on Ruby, it was always me that had to intervene. And I wasn't there often."

Blake didn't say anything and let Yang continue.

"And now…now she only has me. She doesn't have anyone else to protect her. So I have to do it. And that…that…." Yang obviously couldn't find a word to fit, so she went generic. "_girl_, she had to go and try to push her around. Which I am _not_ having."

"But wasn't Ruby _comforting_ Weiss?" Blake said, trying to be helpful.

"No! Well…maybe! I don't know. All I know is that I told Weiss to stay away and she didn't listen."

"Maybe it isn't what you think. Maybe Ruby went to Weiss." Blake suggested.

Yang obviously hadn't considered this possibility and went silent. "Well…Weiss did say she apologized to Ruby…"

Blake blinked. Weiss? Apologize? Maybe the stuff she said in the hall actually had an effect on her…

"And if she really did, Ruby would be one to forgive and forget right then and there…" Yang muttered. Then she hung her head.

"I'm a massive asshole, huh?" she asked.

Blake nodded. "Little bit."

Yang laughed at that and pulled Blake closer to her. "Thanks Blake. You're a pretty cool girl you know."

Blake blushed and didn't say anything, content to just have Yang hold her for a few more minutes.

"But…isn't this a little weird now?" continued Yang, motioning at their current activity. Turning a deeper shade of red, Blake quickly disengaged.

"Sorry." She said, hiding her disappointment. _Disappointment…what? Blake, what the hell has gotten into you? What is it about Yang that gets you all weird and funny-acting? _Blake shook her head back and forth. _No, that isn't important right now. I can deal with this later._

"We should probably go apologize…" Yang said, motioning towards the door.

Blake arched an eyebrow. "We?"

Laughing again, Yang grabbed her hand. "You are going to be my moral support. C'mon."

…

Ruby opened the door to Weiss's room to find her sobbing in the corner.

"Go away!" she cried out, though her voice was cracked and shaky. "Please. Just leave me alone."

Ruby walked over and touched her shoulder. Weiss jumped and peered at Ruby. Her eyes were puffy, red, and a little bloodshot. Her cheeks were stained and her breathing was racked and heavy. Ruby grasped her hand and pulled her up and hugged her tight.

Weiss hugged her back without resistance and cried. After a few minutes, she slowed, then came to a slow stop.

"Does…does Yang hate me?" she whispered.

"No. She's just really overprotective." Ruby whispered back.

Another few moments of silence. Then…

"…do you hate me?" Weiss's voice was barely loud enough for Ruby to catch, even though she was right there.

Ruby clutched her tight and slowly swayed from side to side. "Gods, no. Never. I like you a _lot_ Weiss. I could never hate you."

Sniffing, Weiss buried her face into Ruby's shoulder. "Really?" she said, her voice strained and delicate.

"I promise." Came the answer. They then sat down on the bed and fell back. Ruby put her head on the pillow and pulled Weiss close to her. Curling up, Weiss closed her eyes and let Ruby hold her there.

After a few minutes, soft snoring was heard coming from the lump of Weiss being held by Ruby. The door creaked open and Blake and Yang walked in.

"Shh!" Ruby said, quiet enough to not wake Weiss. "She fell asleep."

Blake walked over and smiled, gently touching Ruby's shoulder. Yang stood warily in the doorway, not sure what to do.

"Um…sorry Rubes." She said awkwardly, her hand scratching the back of her head.

"It's alright. But you need to apologize to Weiss too." Ruby said, still speaking in a very soft voice.

Yang nodded. "I will. I promise."

They all fell silent for a few minutes.

"Yang," Blake said suddenly, still remaining quiet. "Why don't you borrow Ruby's bed tonight?"

As Yang opened her mouth to question it, a _look_ from Blake shut her up quickly as she turned and left.

Blake and Ruby remained for a few minutes more, with the former standing next to the two girls. As Ruby brushed some hair out of Weiss's face, Blake smiled. Weiss frowned even in her sleep.

"You love her, huh?" she said quietly. It wasn't really a question.

Ruby blushed, but didn't deny it. "It's only been what, two, three days? And I'm already in love with someone."

"Life's pretty funny that way."

Ruby smiled. "I liked her from the moment we met. She wasn't mean. She was fair, but not mean. I liked talking to her. So I didn't understand why she was mean sometimes. But she still showed a nice side every here and there to me. It made me happy when she did and I didn't really understand it. I guess I do now."

Blake blinked and realized she was experiencing the same feelings about a certain blonde. She shook her head ruefully. Ruby was a bad influence on her in this aspect.

But then she caught a look at Ruby's expression. She was looking at Weiss, holding her in her arms so gently as if she might break at the slightest wrong touch. Her expression had no hate, no resentment. She didn't resent the things Weiss said. Her face was full of tenderness, and caring.

Ruby sighed and gently kissed Weiss on the forehead. "Now shoo. Get some rest." She said to Blake in a gentle scolding tone.

Blake nodded and left, leaving Ruby to drift off to sleep with her love in her arms.

Ruby's last thought before she slipped into dreamland was _I wonder if Weiss…could love me…back…_

**Author's Note**

** Well. As Ruby so elegantly put it, shit didn't just hit the fan. It exploded all over the damn thing. **

** I'm sorry for the overly-long chapter, but I felt that breaking this into 2 chapters would be cruel to you guys. I hate cliffhangers too!**

** But anyway, we now have the awkward stage where everyone knows Ruby is in love with Weiss….except Weiss. Awwwwkwaaaard. This pretty much concludes the first 'arc' of the story with the characters all meeting/getting used to each other. **

** Now we get to see a lot more of Weiss and how she deals with her strange feelings towards someone she considers her only real friend. Also, Bumblebee starts becoming a thing as Blake begins to accept her feelings towards Yang and tries to test the waters to see if Yang feels the same way.**

** Now, I know that this chapter might be a little jarring. I was testing something out. We'll be returning to our normal style next chapter, don't worry! Bet you guys can't **_**wait**_** to see Weiss's reaction to waking up in Ruby's arms. Gonna be sooooo cuuuuuuuute! 333**

** As always, please remember to review! It means a LOT to me when you do so, and I really appreciate it! Thank you to the readers who have stuck with me and my shitty writing so far, I'm very surprised to be honest. I love you guys!**

** Enjoy Chapter Five, and have a wonderful day.**

** Spike**


	6. Maybe More than Friends

Weiss blinked as she woke up from a perfect dream. She couldn't remember what it was, although she remembered being very happy. She moved to stretch, and then realized someone had their arms around her. She panicked for a moment, and then realized who it was.

Ruby was fast asleep still, a small smile on her cute little face. She had her arms protectively wrapped around Weiss, and was snoring ever so softly. Weiss looked at her face and was caught in a rollercoaster of emotions.

At first she wanted to scream at the girl and tell her to get out. Then she just wanted to cuddle closer. Then she just wanted to gently wake her up and ask what was going on. Then Ruby stirred, and Weiss panicked again.

But all she did was roll over slightly, pulling Weiss closer to her side as she lay on her back, one arm still around Weiss and one draping over the side of the bed. Weiss inched closer to her face and just looked. Her hair had gotten all in her face overnight, so Weiss gently reached her hand up and slowly brushed the hair out of the way. She got a strange tingly feeling in her hands and chest when she touched Ruby. What was going _on_ with her?

She put her head on the pillow next to Ruby and just looked. She wanted to _do_ something, but what? Did she wake her up? Cuddle?

…kiss her? Weiss gulped as she realized that's _exactly_ what she wanted to do. _Kiss her? My friend? Ruby? But…that'd be so weird! But I want to do it so badly…_

Weiss turned the idea over and over in her head till she reached a compromise. She slowly moved forward and gently brushed her lips against Ruby's cheek, putting an arm around her as she did so. A hot feeling rushed through her body and settled in her chest as she did so, and she felt very, very happy. Even if it was a bit weird. But it was just a kiss on the cheek right? She had seen Mother do that to her friends all the time, so it must be normal.

Right?

After a few more minutes of Weiss snuggling up, Ruby slowly stirred and blinked her eyes open to see Weiss pressing herself against her side, cuddling up to Ruby with her arm around her stomach. Ruby blushed and decided to let her know she was awake.

She took her other arm and gently stroked Weiss's cheek, which caused her to jerk up in surprise, her face turning very, very red.

"Oh! Um, Ruby! You're awake…" Weiss said in a surprised, but not unhappy, voice. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you…"

Ruby smiled and sat up on the bed, pulling Weiss with her and putting her arm around her. "That's okay. Plus, it's like six anyway, and I _still _can't find my way around this school. You need to guide me to our early class, remember?"

Weiss blinked. Although she had made no such promises, she didn't see a problem making one. She smiled a small smile and leaned her head against Ruby's shoulder. "Alright." She said in a soft voice.

The two girls sat like that for a few moments, and then Weiss realized what was going on was getting a little…weird. Not in a bad way, per say, but…she wasn't quite sure how to put it. So she stood up.

"Can you please leave while I change? And you should probably get dressed if you want to go get breakfast."

Ruby blinked. "Breakfast?"

Smiling, Weiss poked Ruby on the nose. "Yes you dolt, breakfast. We're going to breakfast. And see if your friend Blake wants to come too. I bet Yang is at the gym, but Blake should still be around, right?"

Ruby grinned a very wide grin. Standing up she pulled Weiss into a bear hug and said "Awesome! I'll go get her!" then ran out the door.

Weiss giggled, still very red in the face. Having a friend was going to need some adjusting, she reasoned.

….

Blake was still sound asleep when Ruby walked in, but a few shakes of her shoulders and she was sitting up on the bed, yawning. "What's up Ruby? Is it time for class?"

"No, but Weiss wants to go to breakfast and invited you. So come on, put some clothes on and let's go!" Ruby would have been jumping with happiness had she not been pulling off her slept-in school clothes and pulling on a nice dress. "Do you think this is good enough?" she asked Blake, turning around a little bit. It wasn't anything too fancy. Just a gray-ish dress with a rose pattern on it.

Blake smiled. "Ruby Rose, are we trying to impress someone?" Ruby blushed. "I thought so. Well, you look beautiful in that. I'm honestly rather scared to see you in something more formal."

Ruby looked at Blake, her eyes wide. "Really? Honest? You mean that?"

Blake came up and gave Ruby a hug and a pat on the head. "Of course I mean that you big dummy. You look great. Go give her a nosebleed while I change."

Ruby giggled and pulled on some flip-flops. Sneakers would just look weird, and the weather wasn't even cold yet. Walking over and knocking on Weiss's door was harder than she thought it would be. She was nervous. _Will she like it? What was up with earlier? Does she like me like I like her? Or does she think we're friends and is acting the way I do around friends? This is so confusing._ For once, Ruby regretting acting so huggy-touchy lovey-dovey with _all_ her friends, otherwise this would be a lot easier to figure out.

Weiss opened the door and said "Ruby is that-" and stopped. She saw Ruby in a dress, a sleeveless dress cut just above her knees, with no socks on. Just sandals. She stopped speaking and her mouth just kind of hung open for a minute as she stared.

"Um, Weiss? You okay?" Ruby asked tensely. _Does she not like it? She doesn't like it. Stupid moron, why didn't you just wear normal clothes? Now she's gonna laugh at you and make you change and you're going to look like a fool._

"You…ah…" Weiss said, her face turning a small shade of pink. "You look….beautiful."

Ruby blushed. _Oh. _

Weiss was wearing her normal white shirt with a nondescript white skirt, with her shoes with elevated heels. She usually felt very pretty, but at the moment she felt rather plain next to Ruby.

"Um…" Ruby started. "You…um…you look pretty too."

Weiss turned a little redder and instead of saying anything, grabbed Ruby's upper arm and dragged her across the hall to fetch Blake. Ruby giggled a little as Blake opened the door just as Weiss was about to knock. Seeing the two, Blake smiled.

"Look at the happy couple. C'mon, let's go. I'll drive.

Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but Blake had already walked off. Ruby took care of it though, breaking off from Weiss and running to tackle Blake from behind. The two nearly fell over, but Blake was laughing as she hugged Ruby quick, sending her back to Weiss with a small shove.

The two started walking behind Blake at a small distance, not really sure what to say. As they reached the car, Weiss broke the silence. "She, um, didn't mean that? Right? She was joking?" _I hope my feelings aren't that obvious…._

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry."

Weiss sighed in relief and her shoulders relaxed a little. She then reached out and grabbed Ruby's hand, much to the redhead's surprise. "Shut up and don't talk about it. Not now. Just roll with it." Weiss muttered as Ruby opened her mouth to say something.

Listening for once, Ruby shut up and kept walking, but this time with a noticeable spring in her step. Weiss smiled a little. _I don't know what these feelings are, but….all I know is, being with this girl makes me happy. And I don't want to fuck that up. So I'm gonna be quiet for now, and figure it out on my own time. But for now, I'm happy just spending time with her._

Once they got in the car, Weiss kept holding onto Ruby's hand, although at the same time she tried, unsuccessfully, to ignore it. Ruby loved it, and was gently tracing circles on Weiss's hand with her thumb. _I'm not sure what Weiss means by this, but hell yes I'm going to enjoy it. Maybe she likes me and is figuring it all out, maybe she's just being a friend. Either way, I'm going to keep my feelings under wraps for now. I don't want to screw up what we have…_

…

Lunchtime arrived, and it was the first time the group met up with Yang after last night's incident. The three were sitting at a booth in one of the school's many lounge areas when the blonde walked up, looking somewhat sheepish. Weiss and Ruby were sitting next to each other, although Weiss slowly inched away as Yang showed up and plopped down next to Blake.

An awkward silence consumed the group for a few minutes, then Yang spoke.

"Weiss…I just want to say, I'm really, really sorry for last night. At this point it's obvious that Ruby has forgiven you for whatever crap you said to her, and apparently likes you quite a bit. I don't want to make her unhappy, so I'm not going to interfere with that. And I'm REALLY sorry. Really. Truly I am."

Weiss wasn't really sure what to say. So she just stuck her hand out, and Yang shook it, then spoke again. "We might not be really close like you and Ruby, or Ruby and Blake, or me and Ruby…come to think of it, Ruby, you're really close with a lot of people. Jesus."

Blake glared at Yang.

"U-uhm, anyway, what I meant to say is, can we just be normal friends? You don't have to love me, you certainly don't have to be all Ruby on me, but can we be cool?"

Weiss thought about it for a minute. Then she gave a brusque nod. "Alright. I'll try. But no guarantees."

Yang grinned. "All I'm asking for. Now, what are we eating?" As Yang devoured the food the three girls got for her, Weiss noticed that Ruby had inched her way back over to her and had leaned against her, putting her head on her shoulder. Weiss sighed contentedly, putting an arm around Ruby. Today has gone _far_ better than expected.

…

"Ruby, come on, it isn't that hard." Weiss was saying, trying to be encouraging.

"But…I just don't _get_ it. I did the thing, then the other thing, but I still don't get it! What now?" Ruby put her head in her hands and groaned. "This makes no seeeeeense."

"Ruby, it makes perfect sense." Weiss said, doing her best to be patient with the girl. "You just have to put all the like terms together. See, here we have 3xy, 4x, and 5xy. So what can you do there?"

Ruby looked hard at the numbers Weiss wrote down. "Um…combine….the three and five?"

Weiss clapped her hands together. "Yes! Exactly! You take the 3xy and see if its minus or plus the 5xy. It's plus, so you end up with 4x plus 8xy."

Ruby blinked. "Oh. That's it?"

"That's it. There are going to be bigger problems, obviously, but this is the basic gist of it." Weiss said, rubbing Ruby's back.

They had been studying since dinnertime, and Ruby had opted to put on her pajamas. "They're comfy! I can't study unless I'm comfy."

Weiss was wearing more casual clothing, but was still rather uncomfortable about wearing her nightie in front of Ruby.

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked, her voice quiet.

"What's up? Another problem?" Weiss said, looking over Ruby's shoulder at her papers.

"No, that isn't it…I just wanted to ask a question."

"Oh. Alright, go for it. What's on your mind?" Weiss sat next to Ruby and looked at her face. Ruby was obviously fighting to find words, and the right ones. This wasn't like her. "Ruby, you're terrible with words. Just spit it out."

Ruby giggled a little, and acquiesced. "I just wanted to know your, ah, opinion on…gay…people."

Weiss blinked, a little surprised at such a blunt question. Then again, she had asked for it. "I don't really have a problem with it. They're just people like you and me after all. Why do you ask?"

Ruby smiled and pointedly wasn't looking at Weiss. Instead, she developed a sudden intense interest at a small crack on the wall.

After a few moments, Weiss got it. "Oh. So you're…"

"Yup."

"And you wanted to know if I would…what, hate you for it or something?"

Ruby blushed. "Kinda. Yeah. There are still people like that, after all…"

Weiss smiled and pulled Ruby over to her and sat her on her lap, putting her arms around her. "Ruby. We had this conversation, albeit reversed. I could _never_ hate you. I like you a lot too you know."

Ruby put her hands over Weiss's and closed her eyes, happy to just sit there. "Thank you, Weiss."

"No problem. Now come on, three more problems. Let's just get them out of the way."

"Alright Weiss…" Ruby said, moving back to her chair.

Weiss smiled as she watched Ruby struggle with yet another math problem. _So…Ruby __**is**__…that way. I had a suspicion…but I never thought it was actually true. What do I do now? Do I tell her about my feelings? No, no, no ,no, that would be stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. She just trusted you with a very personal piece of information, don't act like a fool_.

Ruby groaned as she encountered another roadblock. "Weeeeeeiss. Help meeeeeee….." she said in a very pitiful voice as she gave Weiss puppy-dog eyes.

"Don't _look_ at me like that!" Weiss said. "Now what's the problem?"

…

The next day rolled around, and Weiss was still a little confused on how to proceed. She knew she _liked_ Ruby. But did she _like like_ her? Was she…gay too? The idea was a curious one, to say the least. She had never considered herself a lesbian. Then again, she never liked boys very much. She had seen some cute ones, of course, but had never had any desire to interact with them very much.

So was she a lesbian? Or was Ruby some sort of freak exception, like the universe being a big pervert? Weiss wasn't sure, but she sure as hell wasn't getting anywhere arguing with herself. She'd go in circles.

She looked next to her at the sleeping form of Yang Xiao Long, the girl who only two days ago she seemed to have nothing but enmity for. Now they were…sort of friends. Could she really talk to her about this? She frowned and decided she didn't really have much to lose.

"Hey. Yang. Get up." She said in a rather loud voice, trying to awaken the girl in the bed across from her. "Yang!" she yelled when she didn't respond.

Yang jerked up in bed, her fists in the air. "What? Where is he? I'll punch his lights out!"

"What? Yang, there isn't anyone here but us." Weiss said, exasperated.

Looking around, Yang realized she was right. "Oh. Oops. What's up Weiss?" she said, putting her fists down and trying to play off her rather embarrassing awakening.

"I was hoping to talk to you about something." Weiss said hesitantly.

Yang blinked. Was Weiss acting…normal? Even a bit…shy? What was this? "Um, sure. Go ahead."

"….okay first I have to ask a weird question. Are you straight?" Weiss burst out, not sure if she could go through with that question unless it was right then, and all at once.

Yang shook her head. "Not all the way. I'm bisexual. I like chocolate and vanilla, y'know?" Yang smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Um…how did you figure out that you were…bi?" Weiss asked, not sure how to proceed in this kind of conversation, having never had one before. She began twiddling her thumbs as she waited for Yang's answer.

"Well…I had always liked boys. I had a boyfriend when I was fifteen. Then after that didn't work out I discovered I was _really_ attracted to this girl at my high school after I had started going. But we didn't talk much and I was always too nervous to tell her." Yang laughed. "What brought these thoughts about? Is there someone who's getting you all hot and bothered?" Yang said the last part with a mischievous smile on her face.

Weiss blushed. "Sort of. So…after you realized you liked that girl, you figured out you were bi?"

"Not instantly. I had myself convinced that it was my imagination or something. But eventually it got to the point where I couldn't ignore it anymore. I accepted that I liked girls too and tried a few times to ask her out, but it never really worked. I always chickened out."

Weiss frowned, deep in thought. "Thanks, Yang. You're…not as bad as I thought."

"Coming from you, that means a lot. You're pretty cool too. But can I ask you a question?" Yang got serious all of a sudden.

Nodding, Weiss said "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"Is it Ruby?" Weiss blinked. Yang was either sharper than she looked or her and Ruby had been more careless than she thought.

Her silence was confirmation enough for Yang, who gave a brusque nod. "Alright. I assume you know Ruby's gay at this point, so I'm just gonna come out and say it: If you want to ask her out, go for it. But don't think I'm going to just sit back and watch. My baby sister is precious to me. So if you start dating her and then decide it's 'just a phase' we're going to have words. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it." Weiss said. As Yang got up and ready to head for the gym, Weiss asked another question. "Yang? Can you…can you keep this a secret for now? Until I'm sure?"

Yang smiled. "Course I can. I kept Ruby's secret. Still do, I don't talk about it with anyone unless she's told them. You're the only half-exception because I had a very good guess that she already told you." Weiss confirmed that suspicion and returned to her thoughts.

"Thanks Yang."

"No problem. But seriously, don't play games with Ruby. I'm cool with you being all cuddly friends and stuff because that's just how Ruby is, but if you take it further than that and then break her heart…well…let's just say I won't be happy."

"Understood."

"Alright then. See ya later Weiss." Yang walked out the door and left Weiss to her thinking.

Weiss pondered over the conversation they had just shared until she heard a rapping on her door.

"Weiss! You there? We gotta get going, class starts in an hour! Hurry up!" The voice of Ruby came through the door.

"Coming! Hold on!" Weiss called back, throwing on her clothes.

As the two of them walked to class, Ruby chattering on and on about something, Weiss smiled. She may not be sure of her deeper feelings yet, but she knew that Ruby made her happy. And on some level, she realized that she made Ruby happy. So she didn't resist as Ruby, without a break in step or concentration, reached out and grasped her hand.

The two girls walked this way to class and passed by a blonde and brunette couple walking by the grounds, and although they didn't notice, they were noticed by them.

Blake grinned. "Looks like they're getting on really well, huh?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Yang said. "Hey Blake?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna go out sometime?"

Blake was at a loss for words. Did…did Yang just ask her out?

"A-are you…asking me out?" Blake stuttered out, not sure what to say.

"Yeah. I'm not blind you know. I can see the way you look at me, the funny look you get in your eyes. The way you act. I gotta be honest, I like you too. So what do you say? Date? This Saturday? Lunch?"

In response, Blake threw her arms around Yang and smiled happily. She hadn't been sure of her feelings until this moment, but as soon as the words 'go out' had come from Yang's mouth, Blake had never been more sure of something.

"I'd love to." She said quietly as Yang hugged her back.

**Author's Note**

**And here we have a chapter full of squee. **

**Lots of focus on White Rose here, with SURPRISE BUMBLEBEE at the end. And yes, Blake was the girl Yang liked in high school. After growing up a bit and seeing Ruby so happy around Weiss, even if they were just friends, she realized what she was missing. So she decided 'Fuck it,' and asked Blake out.**

**We know that Blake was already having feelings towards Yang that she was unsure of, but Yang finally asking her just made it click.**

**I wanted to show a contrast between Ruby/Weiss and Blake/Yang. Ruby loves Weiss, and Weiss loves Ruby. But Weiss really isn't sure how deep those feelings run, and neither is willing to screw up the friendship by doing anything stupid. So they dance around the subject and are unwilling to really dive in.**

**Whereas Yang just flat out doesn't give a FUCK. She doesn't dance around anything; she just punches it into submission and tackles it head-on. Which is what happened here, and Blake is rather similar. Neither of them are fond of playing games, so when Yang gets straight to the point, it opens Blake's eyes and she realizes and accepts her true feelings.**

**One couple is inexperienced, overcautious, and altogether not-ready for a real relationship.**

**And the other couple just clicks. Both of these situations can happen IRL, and I wanted to showcase that. I think I did a pretty good job.**

**Anyway, please remember to review! I thrive on those little tidbits you throw at me, but for this chapter especially since I wrote it specifically to get some squee out of you guys.**

**As always, enjoy Chapter Six, and have a wonderful day.**

**Spike**


	7. Date Time

Friday rolled around and Blake was in a panic. To say the least.

"Ruby, what do I do? I'm so nervous. What do I wear? What do I say? Do I act funny? Sarcastic? Bored? Help meeee…" Blake was not exactly in the best of conditions as she walked around in circles in her and Ruby's dorm room as Ruby sat on the bed and tried not to laugh.

"Blake. Calm down. Everything is going to be o-kay. You hear me? Now sit down." Ruby got up and grasped Blake's shoulders, forcing her down onto her bed. "Take a deep breath."

Blake nodded and took a few deep breaths. "Alright. Now help me. What do I do?"

"You be yourself, goofball. Yang doesn't want a date with anyone except you, and if you go as someone not you, then Yang isn't on a date with you? Follow me?"

Blake nodded; surprised she had understood the whole thing. Being around Ruby enough will do that to you, she reasoned. "Alright. We're just going to lunch. It's just lunch."

"Exactly! It's just lunch. Now come on, let's find you something to wear…" Ruby went over to Blake's wardrobe and began digging around. "Do you have anything that isn't black, gray, or black and gray?"

"Nothing that isn't fancy or just outrageous." Blake said, giggling.

Frowning, Ruby pulled out a skirt and a shirt with sleeves so short it could almost be a tank top. "Try this. Yang will go nuts, trust me. She likes skirts."

Blake disappeared into the bathroom and emerged wearing the clothes Ruby picked out for her. Clapping her hands together and squealing, Ruby then ran up and gave Blake a huge hug.

"You look so preettyyy! Ohmygosh Yang is going to love you!" Ruby snuggled up to Blake as the brunette wrapped her arms around her friend, laughing.

"You really think so?" she said hesitantly. "What if she thinks it looks silly?"

"Blake. She's going to think you're beautiful. Now c'mon, Weiss and Yang are waiting for us, let's go eat." Ruby said, shoving Blake back into the bathroom. "Don't let her see you like that till tomorrow. Hurry up, I'm hungry!"

After dressing appropriately, the two girls walked to their favorite eating spot on the campus, this little picnic area not too far out from the dorms. It had a lot of trees and tables, and was pretty comfy. Ruby waved at two familiar figures already sitting around a huge oak tree, and two other people were there two.

"Ruby! I want you to meet my workout buddy, Pyrrha Nikos, and this is her boyfriend. Jaune Arc." Yang said, pointing at the two people sitting next to her.

"Jaune! Hi! I didn't know you had a girlfriend. Or that your last name was Arc." Ruby said, plopping down next to Weiss.

"You know each other already?" Yang asked, a bit confused.

"Jaune is in my English class." Ruby said, and then turned to Weiss. "Hi."

"Hi." Weiss said, offering Ruby a lunch. "Here. I made it myself. It's a salad with lettuce, tomato, olives, onions, and bell pepper."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot you were a vegetarian. Do you eat stuff like this all the time?" Ruby said, inspecting the salad for anything suspicious looking.

"No, although this is one of my favorites. Do you want dressing? I'm partial to balsamic vinaigrette myself." Weiss pulled a small bottle out of her pack.

Shaking her head, Ruby dug in. "Nope. No dressing for me, thanks."

"Um, hi Yang." Blake said, cautiously situating herself next to Ruby. "Hi Weiss. Pyrrha, Jaune."

"Hey Blakey. Here, I brought you a sandwich. Dig in!" Yang handed Blake a small bag inside which was your everyday turkey sandwich.

"Thanks. And don't call me that!"

The group ate their lunch with much chatter about classes, teachers and homework. After Ruby finished off the salad Weiss made her, she let out a big sigh and leaned back, intending to lay her head on Weiss's shoulder.

But at the last minute, Weiss shifted.

"Whooooa!" Ruby cried out as she tipped backwards and landed with her head in Weiss's lap. "Oof. Hi." She said, giggling.

Weiss turned red and bit her lower lip, not quite sure what to say. "Um…what are you doing?" she said after a few moments.

"Lying on your lap, apparently." Ruby replied in a very matter-of-fact voice. "How are you doing?"

Blake started laughing, which caused Yang to start laughing. Soon enough, the chain of laughter spread so that everyone except poor Weiss was giggling at this interesting turn of events. As Ruby noticed Weiss getting a little unnerved and uncomfortable being the object of everyone's attention, she got up and hugged her.

"Aw, it's okay. I was just messing with you." Ruby said gently, resting her head on Weiss's shoulder.

Weiss just wanted to melt. Whether out of embarrassment or happiness, she couldn't quite tell. But she hugged Ruby back and they just sat there for a little while as the giggles died down and more conversation took its place.

"Hey Ruby?" Weiss whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Um…nevermind." Weiss said, feeling the heat return to her cheeks.

"What's up?" Ruby said, looking at her friend with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Besides, we should be getting back to class soon, right?" Weiss stood up and brushed herself off. "And I think I left a few books back in our room. See ya!" And with that she dashed off, leaving a very confused Ruby behind.

"What was that all about?" Blake asked, just as confused.

Yang just smiled. "Dunno."

…

Weiss, as soon as she was out of sight, slid down with her back against the wall and brought her knees up to her forehead and let out a huge sigh. _I couldn't say it. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. Not with everyone there. Why is this so difficult? Why can't I just say…gah, I can't even think it! What's wrong with me…_

Taking a few deep breaths, she stood up after a few minutes. Then she noticed she got a text from Yang.

_You alright?_

Weiss quickly shot back; _No, not really. This is harder than I thought it would be._

_Don't worry about it. You'll figure it out eventually :3_

_ Thanks Yang. Is Ruby okay?_

_ A little confused, but she's fine. She and Blake are fighting over something. I'm pretty sure they're just being silly though. _

_ I'll apologize later._

_ Good idea. lol, Ruby just tackled Blake._

_ Jeez. Anyway, thanks. Ttyl_

_ Bye_

Weiss sighed. Yang wasn't actually that bad. In fact, it was nice having someone to talk to that knew what she was talking about, and Yang definitely did. Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes and began psyching herself up. She could do it.

Tomorrow. Maybe.

…

Saturday morning came, and Blake was, for lack of a better word, a mess. She couldn't decide whether to be excited, nervous, happy, aloof, or all of the above. She decided for a horrific mix of the four that resulted in her almost puking and Ruby holding her on the bed.

"Blake! Blake, calm down! We talked about this yesterday, remember? It's going to be _fine._" Ruby said in a calm voice. The two of them were sitting on Blake's bed, with Blake hiding in Ruby's shirt and Ruby having her arm around Blakes shoulders.

"But what if it goes horribly wrong? What if I say something stupid? What if I forget the time? What if I forget where we're supposed to meet? What if-"

Ruby interrupted her by poking her on the nose. "Blake. None of that is going to happen. Your date is in three hours at the Goodwitch Café that's literally fifteen minutes down the road. You are going to wear that outfit we picked out for you yesterday, you are going to be yourself, and you are going to knock my sister's socks off."

Blake took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Okay. I can do that. I can be me. But what if she doesn't like me? What if she's only pretending to like me?"

"Blake, Yang likes you a lot! Don't be silly. Now come on, let's get you all dressed up."

As Blake was in the bathroom taking a shower and getting dressed, Ruby was texting Weiss.

_How's Yang?_

_ Panicking. Any advice?_

_ I have a situation too. Blake is terrified. _

_ Jesus, these two are just perfect for each other. Now help me, she's your sister._

_ Take her outside and point her at the nearest tree._

_ Seriously?_

_ Trust me._

With that, Ruby sighed and fell back on the bed. It wasn't even 10:00 and the day was already chaotic as all hell. After about ten minutes she heard grunting from outside her window. Peeking outside, she saw her sister waling on a tree, putting a pretty sizable dent in the bark. She wore protective padding on her hands and was concentrating pretty hard. A few feet away from her stood Weiss, for once without her signature ponytail. Ruby couldn't help but think how gorgeous she looked with her hair down and long like that.

Shaking her head, Ruby returned to helping Blake. _Silly. Today is about your sister and your best friend. No thinking weird thoughts about your other best friend._

"Ruby? Can you help me, my hair is all messed up and I can't get it to go right…" came a voice from inside the bathroom.

Ruby walked in to find Blake with a towel wrapped around her, holding out a brush. She was right, her hair was a right mess. Although it was weird seeing her without her cat-ear headband.

Sitting her down on a stool, Ruby got to work.

"Ow! Eek! Oof!" and various extremities came from the girl in front of her as Ruby brushed out knots, tangles, vines, and other assorted things in the jungle that was Blakes hair.

"How" she said, working hard on one section. "Did. You. Get. This. So. Tangled." Grunting, Ruby said one word per pull of the brush, each accompanied by a little whimper from Blake.

"Too nervous. Forgot to take care of it the last few days. It got all screwy." Blake said, wincing. "Mmph. Ow. Ow!"

Ruby sighed. Thirty minutes later, Blake's hair was tangle-free and her headband was in its rightful spot. Once she got dressed up, they spent their remaining hour and a half just talking about things.

"Weiss acted kind of odd yesterday at lunch, didn't she?" Blake commented, leaning back on her bed.

Ruby frowned. "Yeah, it was weird. I hope it wasn't cus I said something weird…"

"You _didn't _say anything weird, right?" Blake asked, smiling.

"No! I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know." Ruby pouted. "It's just weird. One minute she's perfectly friendly and then the next she's just running off! I don't get it."

"Maybe she's a tsundere." Blake commented.

"A what now?" Ruby said, confused.

"Don't you watch any anime?" Blake said, narrowing her eyes.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, a tsundere is a Japanese term. When a tsundere is acting 'tsun' it means they're being cold and distant. But when they act 'dere' they're being all cute and fluffy. They're usually more tsun than dere, but when you get to the dere part, it's usually really cute."

Ruby nodded. "So you're thinking that Weiss is a tsundywhatsit."

"A tsundere, yes. Seems pretty likely to me."

Ruby thought about that. Then her alarm beeped. "Oh crap we gotta go! C'mon!" Ruby grabbed Blakes hand and dragged her through the halls and out to the parking lot. Shoving her into the car, she said "Good luck!"

Blake drove off leaving Ruby standing in the parking lot with her hand in the air. _A tsundere huh? Interesting. This requires more research._

…

Weiss saw Yang off with a smile and then noticed another girl standing across the parking lot waving at a familiar looking vehicle. She walked up and said "Hi Ruby. So I assume you got Blake situated okay?"

"Yeah. Guess we'll have to see where it goes."

"Let's get back to the dorm. I wanna talk to you about something." Weiss said, grabbing Ruby's hand.

"Hey Weiss?"

"What?"

"Are you a tsundere?"

…

Blake sat at her table waiting. She didn't have to wait long, as the squealing of tires signified the arrival of Yang, who walked in and sat down opposite Blake.

She was wearing a yellow sundress with matching sandals. Her face had a slightly red tinge to it as she sat down, and she looked at Blake with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

"Wow." She said, running her eyes across Blake's outfit.

"Um…wow what?" Blake asked shyly, developing a very intense interest in her menu.

"You look…..just….damn. Wow. How did you do that?" Yang said, her voice much quieter than usual.

"Ruby helped. And you, um…you look really pretty. I like the dress." Blake said, still very shy.

Yang smiled. "Thanks. I got this as a birthday present. I don't wear it often, but I figured, y'know…date."

The two girls sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Blake spoke up.

"How could you tell that I…liked you back?" she asked, for once looking at Yang. Both of them were blushing, and Yang was looking uncharacteristically shy.

"Just…the way you acted. You always looked disappointed when we were done hugging or whatever, and I could tell you kinda melted sometimes when I did hug you. Plus, you had that look in your eye whenever I caught you staring at me."

"I never stared!" Blake said rather defensively. She didn't stare….did she?

Yang laughed. "Oh _please_. You could barely take your eyes off me!" Yang struck a supermodel pose, which caused Blake to blush even more and look down at her feet.

"Okay. Maybe I did stare. But not a lot." Blake muttered.

"Sure. Now, what are you getting? I like the look of the pot pie."

As they continued talking, Blake noticed something was touching her foot. After a second of shock, she realized it was Yang's foot gently rubbing up against hers. She responded and was quite pleased when she saw Yang jump slightly.

Soon, they began having a foot war under the table, the unspoken objective being to get the other one to visibly react from the waist up. It went on indefinitely till Yang accidentally got Blake's skirt caught in her shoe and pulled it down a little, causing Blake to yelp.

"Hey! That's cheating!" she said, blushing furiously as she adjusted her clothes.

Yang giggled. "All's fair in love and war. And making my girlfriend blush."

At that Blake turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Y-y-y-y-you're….g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-girlfriend?" she stuttered out, staring intensely at her feet with her face feeling like it was on fire.

"Yeah. Can I call you that yet? Or is it still too early?" Yang inquired, trying to catch a glimpse of Blakes face.

Blake swung her legs back and forth and messed with her shirt, mumbling something.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Yang said, leaning in a little closer.

Blake just wanted the universe to just delete her. Poof. Gone.

"U-u-u-uhm…I s-s-said….y-you…can call me….yourgirlfriend." Blake stuttered, saying the last part so fast it sounded like one word.

Yang pretty much died inside as she reached out and pulled Blakes hand up, grasping it in her hand. "You are so fucking adorable, you know that?"

Blake looked up and smiled, giggling a little. Then their food arrived and they had to eat, but they snuck furtive little glances at each other.

After paying for their meals they walked back to their cars. As Blake left Yang at her car and made her way towards hers, Yang grabbed her arm.

"Yang?" Blake asked, not sure what she was doing.

Yang pulled Blake in and wrapped her arms around her, and gently pressed her lips against hers. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to turn Blake into a stuttering, helpless pile of goop. She just hugged Yang for about thirty seconds, then broke off.

"Next week? Same place, time? Sound good?" Blake said in a high pitched voice, swaying slightly from side to side. Yang nodded and jumped in her car.

"See you back at the dorm." Yang said, winking.

Blake stood in the parking lot for a few more minutes, trying to permanently capture the feeling of Yang's lips on hers.

She got back into her car and drove back to the school, running through that moment over and over again in her mind.

She had never felt happier.

**Author's Note**

**Yay, Bumblebee date! Things are getting int-er-es-tiiiing!**

**Anyway, I decided to ditch putting 'chapter x' into the chapter title. Took up too many characters. **

**Also, we'll be getting some very adorable White Rose moments in the coming chapters! I bet most of you can already tell what Weiss is trying to say, so enjoy watching her attempt (and fail) to do so over the next few chapters. **

**PREPARE YOUR BODY FOR ULTIMATE SQUEE**

**Anyway. Please remember to review, as it helps me out SO MUCH! Seriously. Reviews make chapters come faster. I promise.**

**Enjoy Chapter Seven, and have a wonderful day!**

**Spike**


	8. Sickness, Love, and a Music Box

"Am…am I a what?" Weiss asked, confused.

"A tsun…thingy. Blake brought it up." Ruby was walking back to the dorm rooms with Weiss, attempting to explain what a tsundere is. "According to Blake, you're a tsundere."

"Ruby, I don't even know what that _is_." Weiss said in a very exasperated tone.

"Oh. Well, Blake says that when a tsundere is being 'tsun' she's all grr mean and stuff. But when she's being 'dere' she's really sweet and adorable and stuff. And apparently it's really hard to get them to be 'dere' but when they are it's like the cutest thing ever to exist."

Weiss blinked. Then frowned. "I don't think that's it, Ruby."

"Are you sure? I mean, it makes sense to me. A lot of the time you're all distant and icy and all…Weissy. But sometimes when you're with me, you're all sweet and cuddly like a kitten. But you're mostly all Weissy."

"_Weissy?!" _ Weiss exclaimed. "I don't act like that! What are you talking about!?"

Ruby giggled. "I think you're kinda proving my point here, silly."

Weiss opened her mouth to lecture her some more, then actually thought about it. Then blushed. Then instead of her planned ranting and lecturing, what left her mouth was a mumbled: "Shut up. Dolt."

"Ice queen."

"Dummy!"

"Princess!"

"Argh! I'm not a princess! And I don't act like one either! You on the other hand are constantly acting like a child and a…a…_dolt!" _Weiss was beginning to get quite flustered, to Ruby's great amusement.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." Ruby said in a funky accent.

"What?"

"_Princess Bride_? Inigo says it to Vizzini after he keeps saying '_Inconceivable!' _when he keeps using it wrong?" Ruby said, a little surprised.

"I haven't seen that movie."

Ruby stopped walking. "What." She said, her voice devoid of all joy for once.

"What? So I haven't seen a movie, who cares?"

Ruby grabbed Weiss's hand and dragged her back to her room and sat her down on the bed.

"Ruby, what are you doing..?" Weiss asked, curious despite herself. What was Ruby up to?

"Putting on the movie. You cannot have lived for eighteen years on this planet and not see the Princess Bride. That's just wrong."

So Ruby put in a DVD and played it, sitting back on the bed with Weiss, cuddling up.

"Ruby…" Weiss started, about to protest.

"Shut up and watch. Please? For me?" Ruby began giving Weiss puppy dog eyes.

"Grrr…fine." Weiss said, turning to the television. Ruby squealed with delight and cuddled closer to Weiss, who blushed a little and concentrated on the movie.

…

"That…was probably one of the funniest damn things I've ever seen." Weiss said, nearly out of breath.

"Wasn't it? What was your favorite part?" Ruby said, quite excited.

"When, ahahaha, when Inigo was fighting Westley for the first time and it looks like Westley's going to win…and then Inigo goes 'Because I know something you don't know. I am not left handed!' and then later Westley does the same thing…that was _awesome_."

Ruby laughed. "Yes! I love that part too! But also with the 'mostly dead but not all dead' lines, I love that too."

Weiss burst out with another round of laughter. "Yesss! Ohh, that was so good. I want to watch it again."

Ruby blinked. "I can play it again if you want."

"Not right away! Give me like ten minutes to gather myself, alright?" Weiss wiped her eyes and giggled some more as she settled in beside Ruby, who put her arm around Weiss's shoulders.

"As you wish." She said, smiling.

Weiss blushed, hard. She snuggled closer to Ruby and after a few moments spoke up again.

"Ruby…? Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah Weiss, you can tell me anything. What's up?"

"Um…I think I'm in-" Weiss was then interrupted by the arrival of a very blank-faced Blake, who stumbled in and plopped down on her bed, not really registering that either Weiss or Ruby was there.

She was licking her lips over and over again, and was obviously pretty deep in thought. "Blake? You in there?" Ruby said, giggling.

"Eep!" Blake yelped and jumped in surprise. "Oh. Ruby. Hi. Hi Weiss. What's up?"

"Just watching Princess Bride. Ever seen it?" Ruby asked. Blake shook her head regretfully.

Ruby gasped. "What is _with_ you people! Okay, we're watching it again. Oh, Blake, how'd the date gooooo?" Ruby asked, stretching out the last part with a mischievous tone and smile.

Blake blushed. "It was….nice. We talked. Ate food. Um…she kinda kissed me."

Ruby squealed. "Awwwww! That's so cute! I'm so happy for you two!"

Blake turned even redder. "Can we, um, just watch the movie now?"

"Yeah sure. Oh, Weiss, you wanted to tell me something?" Ruby asked, turning to the girl who was still snuggled up against her.

Weiss was looking a little sullen, but perked up at the sound of Ruby's voice. "Oh. Um, it's nothing important. We can just watch the movie again if you want."

"Yay! Alright, round two! Where is Yang anyway?"

"Gym." Blake said, pulling her knees up to her chin. "She said she'd be back around four."

Ruby nodded. "Sucks for her then. Aaaand, play!"

Weiss cuddled back up closer to Ruby, although she was quite disappointed. _I know it wasn't Blakes fault, but did she really have to walk in _just_ then? This is hard enough as it is…although I do genuinely enjoy this movie. Especially the part about the peanut. _Weiss giggled a little at the memory.

_I guess I'll just have to tell her another time….oh well. Tomorrow is a Sunday, I have a good opportunity then! Yes. Tomorrow will be the day._

…

"What do you mean she's _sick?_" Weiss exclaimed as her and Blake were talking out in the hallway. It was ten in the morning and Weiss had just knocked on the door to be informed that Ruby had contracted a sudden fever.

"It seems like it came about overnight. You should probably stay away for now, in case it's contagious. Although you may have already caught it, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"You're staying with her!" as soon as the words left Weiss's mouth, she realized how jealous she sounded. Cursing herself for being reckless, she decided to just roll with it.

"Yeah, I'm her roommate. I _definitely_ already have it, it just hasn't shown up yet. Plus, she needs someone to take care of her, and why not the person who most likely is already gonna get it? I'll tell her you stopped by though, should cheer her up."

Weiss whimpered a little inside. Her luck was just _not_ in a good state this week. "F-fine. But um…give her these for me! Okay?" Weiss shoved a small wrapped package into Blake's hands, her face a little red.

Blake nodded, smiling. "I will. Tell Yang I said hi, okay?"

Weiss nodded and quickly vacated the area, not wanting to stay too long in case Blake got suspicious. Flopping back on her bed, she let out a large moan of despair.

"Whoa. What happened?" Yang said, putting down her game to stare a bit at Weiss.

"She has a _fever_. Blake is taking care of her though." Weiss sounded pretty unhappy, and Yang wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Uh oh. That isn't good. Did you at least manage to give her the thing?"

"I gave it to Blake to give to Ruby. Who says hi by the way."

"Blake or Ruby?"

Weiss giggled a little. "Blake you dummy." She then returned to her mournful state and let out another groan. "What do I dooooo…."

Yang shrugged. "You could punch a tree. It's what I do when I'm upset."

"I'm not going to _punch a tree_. Idiot."

"Then I guess suck it up and wait it out?"

"You are _no _help."

"Glad to be of service." Yang said with a smile on her face as she returned to her game. "Now, prepare to feel my wrath Cynthia! Screw you _and_ your god damn Lucario!"

"Urrrgh…" Weiss groaned as she rolled around on her bed.

Meanwhile, Ruby was whimpering on her bed as Blake took her temperature again.

"Jeez. You've got a fever still. 104." Blake said, frowning. She stroked Ruby's cheek gently as she sat beside her. "Is there anything I can do? You hungry, wanna watch a movie?"

"I want to see Weiss. Is she around…?" Ruby said, her voice small and weak.

Blake felt terrible. "Sweetie, it probably isn't a good idea. You could give Weiss your fever."

"Awwww….fine." Ruby looked very sad all of a sudden, and Blake felt like she had just murdered a puppy.

"But um…she did stop by. She left you this." Blake pulled out the package and handed it to Ruby, who gently grasped it and turned it over a few times.

"What…is it?" she asked, inspecting it.

"I dunno. Open it." Blake said, shrugging.

Ruby gently ripped open the package and found that it was a little music box. Opening it, she found that the inside was red with a little xylophone-looking thing in it. It started playing a simplistic version of Fur Elise by Beethoven.

Ruby and Blake listened in silence as the song played for a few minutes and once it had finished, Ruby closed it and Blake noticed a tear running down her face.

"Ruby…are you okay?" Blake said, concerned.

"How…how did she know?" Ruby whispered. "It's impossible…"

"Ruby? What is it?"

"That song…is the song my mother would play. All the time. When I was young. I loved it so much….how did she know? I never told anyone…" Ruby clasped the music box to her chest as tears dripped down her face and onto her bed.

Blake couldn't find any words. So she just put her hand on Ruby's shoulder as the girl silently cried.

"Can…can you give Weiss a message?" Ruby asked silently after a few minutes.

"Of course." Blake said. "What is it?"

"Tell her….it's the most wonderful thing anyone's ever gotten me. I love it."

Blake smiled. "Alright. I will. Now sleep, you need rest." Blake put the covers over Ruby, who still was clutching the music box as tightly as she could to her chest.

Ruby slowly drifted off to bed, and as soon as she heard the snoring, Blake stood up and walked over to Weiss's room and slowly knocked on the door.

…

"Who is it?" Weiss called, not really in the mood to talk.

"It's me. Open up." Blake called from outside the door.

Yang jumped a little and swung her legs off the bed and walked over to the door, opening it. Greeting her girlfriend with a quick hug and kiss on the forehead, Yang asked "Hey, I hear Ruby's sick. She doing okay?"

"Yeah. She's fine. Sort of. Weiss…"

Weiss was silent. "Is this about the music box?" she asked after a minute. "Does she not like it?"

Blake laughed quietly. "Weiss you dumbass, she loves it. But…she told me that it was a song her mom played for her. She was…she was crying a little listening to it. How did you know to pick out that song?"

Weiss blushed a little. "I, um…had some help."

Yang scratched the back of her head with a sheepish expression on her face. "Y'see, I've kinda…been helping Weiss out. A bit."

Blake narrowed her eyes. "Really. So is this a little less Weiss, little more Yang?"

Eyes wide, Yang waved her hands in the air quickly. "No! Nonono, not at all! Weiss picked out the box on her own. I didn't even know she was getting Ruby something till she asked me what my opinion was on it."

"And?" Blake asked, eyes still narrowed and shooting daggers at the two girls.

"…Weiss didn't know what that song meant to Ruby until _after_ buying the damn thing and showing it to me. I told her so she'd know what she was getting herself into, but she was still adamant on giving it to her." Yang said, her voice low.

Blake looked at Weiss. "This is true?"

Nodding, Weiss spoke in a soft voice. "Yeah. Ruby had told me about her mom. She said she had pictures and stuff, but aside from that only memories. I still gave it to her after what Yang said because I thought it'd be nice to give her something a little more…well…personal than a photograph."

Blake walked over and pulled Weiss off the bed. Then after a few minutes she threw her arms around her.

"You…have to be one of the most _confusing_ persons I've ever met. Ever." Blake said, her voice a little muffled. "You act like an icy witch sometimes, then you go and do something as…as…amazing, and as sensitive, and as _perfect_ as this."

Weiss blushed. "Um…thanks? I think?"

Blake released Weiss and stepped back. "Ruby said, and I quote 'It's the most wonderful thing anyone's ever gotten me. I love it.'"

"R-really?" Weiss said, blushing even more. "She said that…?"

Blake nodded. "She is currently holding that box as tight as possible while asleep. It hit her hard, but not in a bad way."

Weiss looked down at her feet, not really sure how to respond. Then after a few moments, she spoke up. "I…I think I'm in love with her. I want to tell her really, really bad. But I…always seem to screw it up. I can't find the right way to do it, and even when I try…things go wrong." Weiss decided _not_ to tell Blake she had walked in on one of her attempts.

Yang smiled. "Don't worry Weiss. You shouldn't get all hung up on 'doing it right'. I didn't."

Blake punched her arm. "You're different. This is obviously important to her, doing it right. And I think it's nice. But Weiss, listen."

Weiss looked at Blake, curiosity in her eyes.

"You may want to do it right. But doing it right doesn't mean a big romantic gesture or a perfect evening. It just means doing what feels right for you and her. As long as it works for her and makes you both happy, then _that's_ the right way to do it. Alright?"

Weiss nodded, smiling. She even had a few tears running down her cheek. Blake smiled and cupped Weiss's face in her hands.

"I'll keep your secret. And I know Yang will too. But you might want to hurry up, you know. A girl can't wait forever." Blake spoke with a soft and gentle voice, with Yang's hand on her shoulder. As she finished she looked up at Yang.

Letting go of Weiss she reached up and wrapped her arms around Yang, hugging her tight.

"Oh get a room!" Weiss said, giggling in between sniffles. "Go on, shoo. I'll be okay. And Blake, you have a Ruby to pamper."

"But…she's asleep." Blake said hesitantly, obviously unwilling to leave.

Weiss put a stern look on her face and began pushing Blake outside. "Doesn't matter! Go! Shoo!"

As the door shut, Yang had a rather disappointed look on her face. "What'd you do that for?" she asked, pouting.

"You aren't allowed to get all mushy gushy in the room." Weiss said with a stern voice. When Yang opened her mouth to protest, Weiss held up a hand. "At least," she said, "not until Ruby and I do."

Yang was quiet for a moment, then giggled. "Alright. Deal."

"So, last night Ruby shows me this absolutely _hysterical_ movie…"

…

Two days later, Ruby was up and kicking. Blake, however, was down and burning up. Ruby was currently standing over her with a bowl of soup and a thermometer.

"You dummy. I told you you were going to catch my fever…" Ruby said softly as she fed Blake some soup.

Gulping it down, Blake smiled sheepishly. She was sitting up in her bed with Ruby across from her. Ruby was wearing her everyday clothes, while Blake was still her pajamas, with her kitty ear headband. Ruby fed Blake another spoonful of soup.

"But I wanted to help you…" Blake protested quietly in between spoonfuls.

"You didn't need to." Ruby muttered, but she was smiling. "Thank you though. But now I have to return the favor, don't I?"

Blake giggled. "Of course. You wouldn't leave me here just wallowing in my misery, would you?"

"Oh, just give me a reason…" Ruby said maliciously. But the two girls were both smiling wide as Ruby kept spooning soup into Blake's mouth.

Eventually, it ran out. "More!" Blake exclaimed quietly as she opened her mouth.

Ruby nearly melted with how adorable it was. "Sorry…its gone. Why don't you get some rest."

Blake harrumphed and started pouting. "Don't wanna."

Giggling, Ruby got around behind Blake and began rubbing her shoulders.

"Mmm….that feels nice." Blake said softly. "Can we watch another movie?"

"Sure. Any requests?" Ruby said, massaging Blake's back and shoulders still.

Blake thought for a minute. "Mm….I don't know. You pick something." Then she arched her back and said "Oooh that feels good right there! How'd you get so good at this…?"

Ruby grinned. "My Grammy used to do it for me, and I would do it to Yang. So I got some practice."

"Mmmm….well it certainly paid off. That feels really good."

Ruby giggled and hugged her friend. "Anyway, I have a nice idea. I'll pick out a movie, then I'll tuck you into bed and maybe you'll fall asleep watching it. How's that sound?"

"Goood. But no silly movies." Blake said sternly, but with a smile on her face.

Ruby, after putting in a movie, eventually heard gentle snores coming from the bed. _Whew. Blake really does act like a kid when she's sick. I bet she got spoiled when she got sick…_

Sighing, Ruby headed out and decided she really didn't want a sandwich for lunch. So she texted Weiss.

_Wanna get something to eat?_

After a few minutes, her phone buzzed with a reply.

_Yes. So badly. Yang is chattering my head off about her kickboxing club. Please free me._

_lol, I assume she isn't invited?_

_pls god no. take me away from here._

Ruby laughed out loud and walked over to Weiss's room and knocked on the door. It was opened by a very bored looking Weiss who's face lit up upon seeing her.

"Hey, Yang, I'm gonna step out for something to eat! I'll see you later!"

"No wait I wanna come! I can keep telling you about-"

"Sorrycanthearyoubye!" Weiss shouted as she grabbed Ruby's hand and dashed down the hall. "Run! Come on!" Weiss said, giggling. "Hurry!"

Ruby laughed along with her as they ran off. Yang inevitably pursued them, but they ditched her by hiding behind a pillar as she walked past, with Weiss having to hold a hand over Ruby's mouth.

After a few minutes, they both relaxed and leaned into each other, laughing.

"We did it! So where should we go?" Ruby asked, still holding Weiss's hand.

"Umm…does pizza sound good?"

"Weiss, if I ever say no to pizza, you need to slap me. Hard. Multiple times, if needed."

Laughing hard, Weiss led the way towards the nearby cafeteria that made great pizza. "I'll keep that in mind."

They settled in to a booth in the far corner of the seating area, away from prying eyes and hunting Yangs. They ordered a large cheese pizza and began wolfing it down.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked as they took a break, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"What's up?" Weiss said, wiping cheese grease off her fingers.

"Umm…thank you. For the present."

Weiss blushed a little. "It was nothing."

"No, no it was not nothing. That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I hadn't heard that song in so, so long. It…it made me happier than ever hearing that again. Thank you."

Weiss looked down and absently twiddled her thumbs. "Um…you're welcome."

Ruby reached across and took Weiss's hands in hers. "Thank you for being my friend, Weiss. You're one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for."

Weiss looked into Ruby's face and could only think of how badly she wanted to kiss her. She almost did it.

Almost.

"FOOOOOOUND YOOOOOU!" came a loud voice from across the room. A tall blonde was staring at the two girls, a crazy light in her eyes.

"Oh son of a bitch, _run!_" Ruby squealed, pulling thirty bucks out of her wallet and throwing it down on the table.

"Ruby-"

"Think of it as me paying you back for the café. Now _move it!_"

The two girls screeched as Yang barreled down the room at them, and they bolted. Luckily Weiss was able to outsmart and outmaneuver the blonde menace and they hid in an unused classroom.

_God DAMN it Yang! And I was so close too!_ Weiss almost screamed in frustration, but she had Ruby pressed very close to her underneath a desk, and wasn't quite willing to sacrifice that.

So instead she let out a sigh.

_Son of a bitch. Well, I'll do it tomorrow._ Wrapping her arms around Ruby, she could only think one thing.

_I love you_.

**Author's Note**

**ALL THE SQUEE. MUA HA HA! ALL OF IT!**

**Oh. Hi. Didn't notice you standing there. You didn't happen to hear that, did you?**

…

**God damn it.**

**Anyway, how frigging adorable is Weiss this chapter? Did I do good or did I do good? I think I did pretty okay. I wanted to write some serious heart-stopping Squee, and I think I achieved that.**

**So, a few of you have asked if this is going to be a daily upload kind of thing.**

**I upload whenever I'm done with a chapter. That could be twelve hours after the previous one, sometimes it'll be three days. It all depends how much of a roll I'm on or how motivated I am to write the next chapter. It also depends on if I'm writing Squee or Uncomfortable Hurt. The former is something that is fun and enjoyable to write, whereas the latter…is not.**

**But anyway, this is one of those really fast upload sprees because I am just having SO MUCH DAMN FUN WITH THESE. **

**Oh, and no, Weiss doesn't actually get to say 'I love you' to Ruby for the next three chapters at LEAST. We get to see lots of Bumblebee squee, and lots of Weiss 'I love you' fail squee. But the next few chapters are mainly Ruby and Weiss stumbling all over each other and not really sure how to go from there.**

**And about the Fur Elise thing, I wanted to show Ruby having a much more sensitive side to her than the overbearing, childish deredere. It was admittedly difficult writing that part, but I think it came out great and accomplished my goals with it.**

**As always, remember to review! Reviewing gives the next chapter a much higher probability to come out sooner rather than later ;)**

**Also, I enjoy it when you comment on a certain part of the story. I LOVE hearing 'oh and my favorite part(s) were X, Y, and Z where A, B, and C happened for reasons L, M, and N. I dunno, that's just my favorite kind of feedback rather than generic 'great chapter!' comments. Which I still like! I'd just really like it if you guys could go more in-depth about **_**what**_** you liked about the chapter.**

**I'm rambling now, I'm sorry. I'll stop.**

**Anyway, please enjoy Chapter Eight, and have a wonderful day!**

**Spike**


	9. A Very Formal Occasion

"Hey Weiss, Pyrrha invited me to a party she's having in a few days. You wanna come?" Yang was talking to Weiss, who was absorbed in a book.

"Hm?" she asked, not really listening.

"Party? Pyrrha? Two days? Wanna come?" Yang said, poking Weiss's forehead.

Slapping Yang's hand away, Weiss huffed. "No. I don't party. I'd rather just stay here and read. You have fun."

"Reeeeally?" Yang asked, her grin wide. "Because, see, I asked Blake and Ruby if they wanted to go. And Ruby is preeetty excited! She personally requested that I invite you too."

Weiss slowly looked up from her book at Yang, trying to gauge whether or not she was lying. "Ruby asked you to invite me?" she said slowly, not sure if she believed it or not.

"Weiss. Do you really think I'd actually invite you otherwise?"

Weiss looked thoughtful for a second. "Good point. Alright, I'll come. As long as I don't have to drink any alcohol. Disgusting stuff."

Yang laughed and clapped Weiss's shoulder. "Whatever you say princess. Anyway, Ruby also requested that you go hang out with her. Blake is studying and Ruby is very, very bored."

As Yang turned around to change into her gym clothes, she heard a rush of air and the clicking of the door behind her. Turning around, she saw a book on the floor and a noticeable lack of Weiss. Chuckling to herself, Yang pulled on her gym clothes and headed out.

"Weiss! Hi! You came!" Ruby looked happy as Weiss walked in the open door.

"Ruby! Shush! My brain cannot handle your loudness right now…" Blake muttered as she stared at a few open books.

Hiding a smile, Ruby bounced over and whispered in Weiss's ear; "She's studying for a paper. Her teacher really takes homework seriously."

Weiss shivered, though not from cold. She then grasped Ruby's hand. "Well let's leave her to it then. Bye Blake!"

Blake threw up a hand as way of saying goodbye, not looking up from her books.

…

"So Yang invited you guys to a party?" Weiss inquired, wanting to make sure Yang was telling the truth.

"Yep!" Ruby said, skipping a little. "I've never been to a college party before. I'm excited! Did she invite you too like I asked?"

Weiss smiled and nodded, and Ruby squealed. "Yay! You'll have fun, I know it." The two girls stopped and sat under their favorite tree, and Weiss pulled Ruby close. Ruby melted into Weiss's side and let out a little sigh.

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"What is it?" Weiss said, looking at her friend.

"Boop." Ruby said, quickly poking Weiss's nose with her finger. Weiss simply sat there for a moment, then got a mischievous smile on her face.

"Ruby Rose, you did not just boop me." She said in a mock-stern voice, staring at Ruby.

Ruby giggled and started squirming away. "What are you gonna do about it, huh?"

"Oh I'll show you, you little rascal." Weiss said, and pounced on the girl. Ruby squealed and tried to squirm away, to no avail.

"Ahh! No!" she squealed as Weiss began tickling her.

"Tickle tickle tickle!" Weiss said, laughing a little herself. Ruby squirmed and was loudly laughing, trying to push Weiss's hands away.

"No! Please! Have mercy!" Ruby yelled in between laughs, desperately trying to wriggle out of Weiss's reach.

"Not unless you tell me you're sorry!" Weiss said, straddling Ruby so she couldn't run. She then began tickling her armpits, and Ruby laughed even louder.

"I'm sorryyyyyyyyy!" She screeched, still laughing uncontrollably.

Weiss let up with a satisfied look on her face, but realized it may have been a mistake as Ruby looked at her with a sparkle in her eyes. "Ruby what are you-AGH!" Weiss shouted as Ruby flipped the tables and threw Weiss off, diving on top of her.

Ruby sat on top of Weiss's stomach, her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. "Got you!" she crowed, and then held her hands out menacingly. "Let's give you taste of your own medicine, hmmm?"

"No! Don't tickle me!" Weiss said, trying to keep the grin off her face.

"Oh, but it's so _tempting_…" Ruby said, a wistful look on her face. "Buuut. I think I _might_ be able to resist if you do me a favor."

"Anything! I'll do anything, just don't tickle me!" Weiss vainly attempted to shield herself as she waited for the tickles.

She heard Ruby digging around in a bag she had brought.

"What are you getting…?" Weiss asked, mildly suspicious.

Then she got a dress in the face.

"You have to wear this to the party!" Ruby said, clapping her hands together. "I saw it while I was shopping yesterday, and I thought you would _love _it. Or hate it. Either way, you'll look really pretty and you need to wear it on Saturday. Deal?"

"Can you get off me so I can get a good look at it?" Weiss asked, giggling a little.

Ruby pretended to mull it over for a few seconds. Then she pulled the dress off Weiss's face and kissed her forehead. "Okay!" she said, then clambered off.

Weiss wanted to melt into the ground. Her face turned red and she let out a little 'Eep!' when Ruby kissed her.

"Weiss? You okay?" Ruby asked, giggling. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no! I'm fine! Perfectly….okay." Weiss said, taking a deep breath and sitting up. She stood up and inspected the dress.

It was white, with no sleeves and very slim. It had a modest V-neck, showing a little bit of skin but leaving much to the imagination. Weiss felt herself getting redder just looking at it.

"Wellll?" Ruby said, putting her hands on Weiss's shoulders. "Whaddyathink?"

"It's….um….fancy." Weiss said.

"Yang promised me that everyone was gonna wear something nice. Pyrrha isn't really a party hound, so it should be a nicer party than just a bunch of drunk guys. Yang is gonna wear her sundress, Blake is gonna wear her cute little skirt thingy that I picked out for her, I'm wearing my dress, and you are wearing this!"

Weiss gulped. She didn't _hate _the dress. It actually looked quite nice. But the idea of Ruby seeing her in something this revealing was…was…

"Weiss!" Ruby said as Weiss's legs collapsed out from under her. Ruby caught her and sat back with a _thud_. Weiss crumpled in Ruby's lap, her face redder than a tomato. "Weiss, are you okay? Your face is all red!"

Weiss curled up and snuggled Ruby, not really wanting to speak at the moment. But after a few minutes, she managed to get out a few words.

"Okay…I'll…wear it. But only because I don't want to get tickled!" she said, a little less stern than she would have liked, but her legs still felt weak from…no! No! Bad thoughts! Shoo!

"Yay! You're going to look absolutely _amazing_! Boys will probably be falling all over you. You will definitely be the sexiest girl there."

That was too much for Weiss, who let out a very audible "Eeeee!" noise and was rendered incapable of speech for the next ten minutes, instead mumbling incoherent words and pressing herself close to Ruby, who found the whole thing quite frankly the funniest thing she'd ever seen.

…

The evening of the party arrived, and Weiss had been standing in front of the mirror for ten minutes holding the dress in front of her. Yang had gone green with jealousy when she saw the dress, muttering about how 'you guys already get each other great presents and you aren't even _dating_ yet.' among other such things.

Weiss took a deep breath and slipped the dress on, marveling about how well Ruby had guessed her size. The dress fit perfectly. She put on a pair of her elevated heel boots and turned around in the mirror a few times. The shoulder straps of the dress were about an inch wide, and the rest of the dress squeezed snugly around the rest of her body, showing off her lithe shape.

Yang went in to check on her and promptly ran into a wall, she got so distracted.

"Whoa." She said after a few seconds of staring.

"Is it too much?" Weiss asked, fearful.

"No…but…holy _shit_. You look….damn. You look like a freaking supermodel. Just….wow."

Weiss blushed. "Shut up. Where's Ruby and Blake?"

Yang shook her head to clear it, and then cleared her throat. "Um, waiting for you. I'm gonna grab Blake and go on ahead…so you can…you know. Work your magic." Yang winked and narrowly avoided the various cleansing products aimed at her head as she dashed out the door.

Weiss stood there fuming for a few more seconds, then gathered herself. She took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hall.

Ruby was wearing a black and red lacey thing. It wasn't nearly as slim as Weiss's, and actually flowed around her waist and legs. It wasn't exactly a layer-cake dress either though, more like a lovely mixture of the two. The sides of it were jet black, with the back and front being red.

Ruby opened her mouth to greet Weiss, but no sounds came out. Only a few noises that sounded like they could _almost_ be words, but they died somewhere along the way.

Weiss blushed _hard_. "W-w-well? This is _your_ idea! Say something!" she said, a little more forceful than intended.

Ruby blinked. "You…you look. Amazing. Like a goddess. Or a supermodel. Or….like a princess. A real princess, not a spoiled mean one."

Weiss ducked her head. She had done her hair differently as well, which Ruby noticed just then. "Oh wow! You let your hair down! And you let Yang _curl_ it! Ohhh it looks _gorgeous!_" Ruby squealed as she ran her fingers through Weiss's newly-wavy loose hair.

Weiss grabbed Ruby's hand and began walking. "I hope you know where this place is." She muttered. "I certainly don't."

She said this in a gruff tone, but she couldn't hide her smile. What she could hide was the warm feeling spreading outwards from her chest all the way to her fingertips and her toes.

…

They arrived about ten minutes after Yang and Blake. Everyone else at the party was wearing similar attire, though no one was sporting anything like a tuxedo or prom-level dress. Except Weiss, that is. As soon as she entered, Ruby clinging onto her, heads turned and gasps were heard.

"Weiss!" Ruby whispered excitedly. "Look! Everyone loves you!"

Ruby was right, sort of. All the girls had barely-disguised jealousy in their eyes, while the boys all had looks of admiration and 'holy crap'.

"Ruby…lets go find your sister and Blake. And Pyrrha." Weiss said, pulling Ruby along.

They found them by some food that had been laid out. Pyrrha was laughing about something with Yang, and Jaune was standing next to her, looking vaguely uncomfortable in the presence of so many people.

"Pyrrha! Hi!" Ruby said, waving.

Pyrrha greeted Ruby with a quick bear hug. "Ruby! You came!"

"Yeah. What's the occasion anyway, this is a pretty fancy party." Ruby inquired, looking around.

"This? Oh, this is nothing. But if you must know, my birthday is in three days. Jaune wanted to have a party. I wanted to go to a fancy restaurant. So we compromised. Fancy party today, normal restaurant in three days."

Ruby giggled. "Nice." She socked Jaune in the arm.

"Ow! Well, at least you two dressed up nice." Jaune said, smiling. "Hi Weiss."

Weiss nodded a greeting, and Pyrrha looked at her like she had just figured out she was there.

"Weiss! Oh! Wow that dress! It looks _amazing!"_

"I picked it out for her." Ruby said, beaming. "Did I choose good or what?"

Pyrrha giggled, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "Weiss, you look gorgeous. Your date chose quite well."

Ruby had been taking a drink, and when Pyrrha said _date_, she coughed and spit it back into the cup. "D-date?" she said, coughing. "No! Nono. Just friends. She got me something earlier, so…"

Pyrrha nodded, obviously embarrassed. She shot a daggery glance at Yang, who shrugged.

"I'm sorry. Well, anyway, enjoy!" She then walked off with Jaune, probably off to make small talk with other people.

Weiss had been staring at her feet, and Ruby gave her a quick hug. "Hey! Don't look so down. It's a party! Be happy!"

Weiss smiled softly and hugged Ruby back. "Alright. I like this music, you wanna dance a little?"

Ruby nodded and pulled Weiss into what seemed to be the self-designated dancing area, as people were already moving to the beat. They started dancing a little, and then Weiss got a tap on her shoulder.

A tall boy stood behind her, holding his hand up in greeting. "Hey! I'm Neptune. Haven't seen you before." He held his hand out. Weiss looked at it for a few seconds, and after not doing anything, Neptune reluctantly let it down. Clearing his throat, he said "So…wanna dance?"

Weiss gulped and looked at Ruby, who had a funny look on her face. She wasn't sure what to say, but luckily she got help.

"Um, she's here with someone!" Ruby said quickly.

Neptune blinked. "Oh? I don't see him."

Ruby looked at Weiss and grimaced, obviously saying 'sorry' in her mind. "Um, not a him."

Neptune thought a minute, then realization entered his eyes. "Oh! Oh wow, I'm so sorry. I didn't…it's just.."

Ruby stared pointedly at him, and he got the message. Letting out a small nervous laugh, he pointed in the other direction. "I, ah, think I'm gonna bail. Nice meeting you!"

As soon as he was gone, Weiss visibly relaxed and leaned back into Ruby, who put her arms around her.

"Sorry. You looked freaked and I kinda panicked." Ruby said, smiling awkwardly.

Weiss wasn't quite sure what to do. Was now a good time? Was it as good a chance as she was going to get?

"Um…" she started, not sure what words to use. "I…didn't mind." _What? 'Didn't mind?' IDIOT. Why not just jump out the window now, save yourself some time!_

"Oh! Okay then!" Ruby smiled wide and squeezed Weiss tight. "Let's go sit down, I'm hungry."

Weiss sighed and slowly followed. _Son of a bitch._

As Ruby settled down next to Weiss, she looked at her with a funny look in her eyes. _She said she didn't mind me essentially saying she was my date. Does that mean something? Or am I so much in the friend zone that she doesn't even think about me at all that way? I'm so confused…_ Ruby was pretty lost in her own head, so she let out a big sigh and leaned against Weiss, who rested her head on top of hers.

Two girls, both pretty lost, both trying to figure out each other's feelings. When, unbeknownst to them both, they shared the same thought at that one moment.

_I love you_.

…

The party was ending and the guests cleared out. That left Pyrrha, Jaune, Yang, Blake, Ruby, Weiss, and two other people. Jaune identified them as Ren and Nora, childhood friends of him and Pyrrha.

"You four were childhood friends?" Ruby said, interested.

"Yup. We lived on the same street for fifteen years. Same school too, every time. We even got in the same class once." Jaune said, popping a chocolate in his mouth. Then he made a face and spit it in a napkin.

"Coconut?" Pyrrha asked, smiling.

"Shut up." Jaune said, plopping down next to her.

At this point, Ruby had noticed that everyone except her and Weiss had some form of alcohol in their hands, and had been drinking it throughout the night. She looked at Weiss and discovered the same sentiment in her eyes.

They did _not _like where this was going.

"Sooo I have a special game for us all to play, now that it's just us buddies!" Pyrrha said, hiccupping and giggling a little.

Ruby was afraid to ask, but Blake did it for her. "What kind of *hic* special game?" Blake's speech wasn't slurred, and she sat pretty still, but Ruby could see her eyes were a bit unfocused.

Pyrrha looked evil for a second as she fished an empty wine bottle off the table. "Guess! *hic*"

Yang clapped a few times. "Spin the bottle?"

"Ding!" Pyrrha said, poking Yangs arm. "Sit in a circle guys! C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Ruby sat next to Ren. After Ren, in order, was Jaune, Weiss, Nora, Blake, Pyrrha, then it ended at her sister, who plopped down next to Ruby. The bottle was placed carefully in the middle, and then there was silence for a few minutes.

"How do we know who goes first?" Said Nora, a very puzzled look on her face.

"Umm….maybe spin the bottle? Whoever it lands on goes first?" Yang suggested. When no one protested, she reached out and spun it. It landed on Ruby. "Whoo! Go Ruby!" Yang said, giggling.

Ruby blushed and hesitantly reached out and spun the bottle. It landed on Blake. Ruby relaxed a little. At least it was her friend.

Blake leaned forward, her eyes closed. Ruby quickly kissed her forehead and returned to her seat. Blake frowned. "Awww. I thought you played the game differently." She then pouted.

Yang laughed. "Spin it Blake!"

Blake did so, and it landed on Yang. "That's more like it!" Blake said, giggling. The girlfriends shared a pretty intimate kiss that made everyone a bit uncomfortable. After a second, Pyrrha broke them up.

"Get a room! Jeez. Yang, spin."

Yang spun and it landed in Weiss, who blushed. Yang stuck her tongue out and quickly pecked her on the cheek. "Phooey. I wanted Blake again." After getting shoved by Ruby, Yang laughed. "Spin Weiss!"

Weiss spun and it landed…on Ruby. Weiss squeaked, but everyone ignored it as Ruby slowly crawled forward. Weiss stood up and walked over to the wall and sat down with her back against it.

"Uh-oh…" Yang muttered, hiccupping a little. "I don't think she likes this game."

"Shush!" Pyrrha said as Ruby walked over to Weiss.

Ruby sat down beside her and discovered that Weiss was shaking. "Hey, if you don't want to do this we can just leave. I'm not really having much fun anymore either."

Weiss looked up. "R-really? Okay…"

Ruby called out "We're just gonna leave, guys."

"Awww! But you gotta spin first! And you can't spin till you kiss!" Blake said, smiling. She sat with her legs crossed, and was rocking back and forth.

Ruby looked at Weiss, an apologetic look on her face.

"Um…it's okay. I just wanna go." Weiss closed her eyes.

Ruby leaned in, intending to go for her forehead. But Weiss shifted at the last second, and Ruby couldn't slow down. Her lips slowly touched Weiss's as she kissed her.

Weiss felt like fireworks were going off in her head. She felt _amazing_. It was finally happening, even if it was by accident. She felt even happier when Ruby put her arms around her neck, still kissing her.

But then Ruby broke it off and whispered. "Sorry! You moved!" into Weiss's ear. She then spun the bottle quick, designating Pyrrha as the new spinner.

"See you!" she called as Ruby and Weiss walked out the door.

Weiss was a little hurt, but then she saw Ruby's face. She was smiling. She had a big smile.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah? What's up?" Ruby asked, jolted away from some daydream.

"You…um…kissed me."

Ruby blushed. "Oh. Yeah….you kinda moved at the last second. But…to tell the truth…even though it was by accident…"

"Yeah?" Weiss said in a hushed voice.

"It was…kinda nice." Ruby smiled.

Weiss smiled back and hugged Ruby. "But um…" she said as they kept walking. "It didn't mean anything…right?" _Idiot! What are you _saying_? Do you want to chase her away?_

Ruby blinked and then laughed, a little too suddenly. "Oh! Uh! Yeah. Course. We're friends. It was just a game."

Weiss felt her heart sink a little. _Stupid! If you had just spoken up that you liked it too, you could be making out right now! Hell, all you had to say was three simple. Little. Words. But noooo, you had to be all like 'oh but it didn't mean anything!' _

_ STUPID!_

But Weiss resolved that even if it was too late tonight, she wasn't giving up now. She just had to do it another time. When she _wasn't_ surrounded by drunken morons. Besides, Ruby hesitated a little. Right? It must mean _something_.

She wasn't giving up _this_ easily.

**Author's Note**

**Oh Weiss, you and your big mouth! She's just stumbling alll over herself, isn't she~?**

**Anyway, I really wanted these two to play Spin the Bottle together. But of course, it couldn't result in them getting together. That'd just be **_**cheesy**_**. Do not fear, you only have one more chapter of failure before you (possibly) get your reward! **

**On a side note, we're pretty much through September at this point. So Halloween will be coming to Beacon College soon! I wonder if I could do something like….a costume party chapter. Bet that could lead to alllllll sorts of interesting scenarios, hmmm?**

**Oh but I'm teasing you now. **

**Anywhoozles, I LOVED writing this chapter. Especially the scene where Weiss is tickling Ruby. That was so cute!**

**But yeah, remember to review! And tell me what your favorite part was, I like hearing that. Reviews make chapters come faster, and detailed ones make them come even faster!**

**As always, enjoy Chapter Nine – A Very Formal Occasion, and have a wonderful day.**

**Spike**


	10. The Fateful Party - Part One

Ruby rolled around in her bed, trying to get comfortable. She had just said goodnight to Weiss, and was now unable to fall asleep. She replayed the scene over, and over, and over again in her mind. The bottle. Weiss closing her eyes. Moving just the right way so Ruby ended up kissing her lips instead of her forehead.

Ruby shivered a little at the memory. She had felt so happy. But at the same time…she didn't want Weiss thinking anything weird. Weiss even made sure that Ruby didn't mean anything by the kiss.

Letting out a huge sigh, Ruby rolled onto her back, and decided to just lay there. About twenty minutes passed before she heard a _thunk_ of a door closing across the hall, and a similar one as her door opened and closed.

"Hi Blake." Ruby said dully.

"Unghhhh." Came the response, as the brunette fell face-first onto her bed, not even bothering to change. Ruby closed her eyes and decided to just forget about it for now. They'd talk tomorrow. Right?

…

"Wakey wakey Blakey! It's a _beautiful_ morning out and shouldn't be wasted!" Ruby said in a loud voice, shaking Blake back and forth on her bed.

"Ah…Ruby…no…my head…." Blake muttered, clutching her head in her hands. "Feels like someone wrapped wool around my brain…"

"That's what you get for getting all drunk on me!" Ruby said, crossing her arms. "So as punishment, we're going for a walk! At six o clock in the morning."

Blake blinked and checked her watch. Ruby wasn't lying. It really was six. Blake groaned. "Rubyyyy…have mercyyyyyy…."

Ruby grinned. "Nope! C'mon Blake, we have some jogging to do!" Ruby pulled Blake out of bed and threw some clothes at her.

"Nooooo….please don't make meeeee…" Blake said, putting the clothes down. "I just…wanna sleeeep."

"Blake. Are you going to dress yourself, or do I have to do it for you?" Ruby said in a mischievous voice. That got Blake to wake up a bit as her eyes widened.

"You wouldn't." she said, although the look on her face showed she didn't really believe it.

"Try me." Ruby stated, her arms crossed and her smile wide.

Blake blanched and raced into the bathroom to change. Ruby giggled and texted Weiss.

_Operation: Hangover Punishment is go over here, what's your situation?_

_ Yang = zombie._

Ruby laughed. That sounded about right.

_Need any assistance?_

_ Possibly. I'll let you know._

Ruby pocketed her phone as Blake slowly emerged from the bathroom. "Can we just get this over with so I can get back to bed?" Blake muttered. "It's a Sunday. Have some kindness…"

Ruby shook her head. "Nope! Now come on, I think Weiss needs a bit of help."

The realization hit Blake as they walked across the hall. "You two _planned_ this!" she said, with a very insulted look on her face.

Ruby giggled, but didn't answer. Instead she rapped on the door. "Weeeiss! You doing okay in there?"

At first they didn't hear anything. Then they heard a _thud_ followed by Weiss screaming various vulgarities.

Ruby opened the door to find Yang passed out on top of Weiss, who was straining to push her off.

"Don't just stand there, help me!" Weiss snapped. Ruby smiled and began tugging Yang off of Weiss.

As soon as she was free, Weiss huffed and straightened out her clothes. "For god's sake, she's impossible!"

Blake stumbled over and said; "Hold on, I got it." She whispered something in Yangs ear, which caused quite the interesting reaction.

"I'm up! I'm awake! Stop talking! No! I'm awake!" Yang shouted as she jumped up and hugged Blake, trapping her face in her chest, leading to muffled half-protests from Blake.

Weiss and Ruby looked at each other, and then giggled. "Come on you two. Run!" Weiss said, pushing them out the door with Ruby's help.

The two hung over girls half walked half jogged about three feet in front of the other two, who were ready with swift attacks of tickling, poking, and a mini-air horn to keep them moving. The air horn had yet to be used, but Weiss was just begging Ruby to give it to her.

"Weiss, no. I don't trust you with this. You'll just use it to torment Yang!" Ruby said laughing, holding it at arm's reach away from a struggling Weiss.

"Oh come on pleeease! I just wanna do it once! Just once!" Weiss was currently trying to grab the air horn, but was being blocked by Ruby, who was quite adept at keeping it away from her.

"No! Stop! Don't make me tickle you!" Ruby said, laughing. Then she saw the look Weiss got in her eyes. "NOOOO!" she said, running. Weiss tore off after her, holding her hands out menacingly.

Blake and Yang dully observed them running off and decided now was a good time to slump back against the walls of the buildings and take a nap. Soon enough, they were dozing off side by side, with Blake using Yangs shoulder as a pillow.

…

"Gonna getchu!" Weiss said, as the two girls ran circles around a large tree.

"No! I'm too fast!" Ruby said, doing her best to keep away from Weiss's threatening fingers.

"Ruby. I promise I won't tickle you if you give me the air horn, now come on."

"Liar! You'll just take it then do it anyway!"

Weiss smiled. That was a good idea, actually. "Ruuuuby….please?" Weiss said in a very pitiful voice, doing her best to emulate Ruby's puppy dog eyes.

Ruby stopped and stared at Weiss, indecision raging in her eyes. She looked at Weiss, wheels turning. _If I give it to her, she'll probably betray me. But she's so cute! But evil. Very evil….but god damn is she cute._

After debating internally for a moment, Ruby said "Weiss, I will give you the horn on one condition."

"What's that then?" Weiss asked, knowing she'd won.

"It's the end of September, right?" Ruby asked, smiling.

"Yes…" Weiss said slowly, not sure where this was going.

"What's in one month?" Ruby giggled as she said this, and Weiss suddenly was very apprehensive.

"….Halloween?" Weiss really didn't like where this was headed.

"Yup! And we're gonna hold a party. A costume party. You, me, Yang, and Blake! I got the other two to agree, so now you gotta do it too!"

"What's the catch?" Weiss was suspicious now. Ruby wasn't just going to ask her to host the party, there was definitely a catch.

"No catch! You just have to dress up and have fun." Ruby said.

Weiss shrugged. "Alright. But you didn't need to bargain with me for that, you could have just asked. Dolt." Ruby giggled as she handed Weiss the air horn.

"I had to make sure!" She said, her hand darting out and grasping Weiss's. "Now come on, wanna bet those two are sleeping?"

Weiss smiled as Ruby led her to where Blake and Yang were passed out. A Halloween party, eh? This will be a perfect opportunity…

…to tell her! Ruby thought, as she dragged Weiss along. _If I can't do it incognito, I can't do it at all!_

…

Two weeks passed by and the four girls had planned out their Halloween party. Turns out Ren lived off-campus in a rather spacious house with a few friends, who all agreed to using the place for the party. Of the eight people setting it up, there were four teams. Each team had a job. Yang and Pyrrha were in charge of invitations and making sure people showed up. Ren and Blake were in charge of setting up the house, decorating and making sure tables and such were available. Along with hiding valuables and fragile items.

Ruby and Weiss teamed up and were in charge of the costume contest they were holding. They needed to appoint judges, criteria, prizes, and other various things. Nora and Jaune were in charge of food and drink, which Nora took _very_ seriously.

The house was already filling up with stuff, with Ren and Blake's decorations occupying a sitting room, Nora and Jaune's refreshments filling up the kitchen, and all the costume contest planning took up most of the living room.

Ruby and Weiss had settled on ten different categories. Your typical 'Scariest', 'Most Realistic', 'Silliest', 'Cutest', and 'Funniest'. Then the two girls came up with five other categories to throw people through a loop. There was 'Most Half-Assed', 'Most Random', 'Fuzziest', 'Best Sci-Fi Costume', and of course, 'Weiss's Favorite'.

Oddly enough, it was Ruby who had suggested the last one. "You're head judge, so you get a favorite! That's just how it works."

Weiss wasn't going to protest, so they went on with discussing prizes…

Meanwhile, Blake was setting up fake spider webs in the entry hall while Ren was setting up a plastic skeleton by the tables Nora had set up.

The kitchen was full, with Nora having purchased ingredients for sugar cookies and a cake mix, along with large bags of various chocolates, candies, gummies, and other various treats that would reduce your dentist into an incoherent mess.

Yang and Pyrrha had been asking around, and figured that the house could fit around fifty people. So, with some persuasion, they managed to get forty people to come and about half those people would most likely bring a date. "We can always use the front lawn, right?" Yang said to Pyrrha, who shrugged.

Late in the evening, three days before Halloween, the eight met up at the house to go over final details.

"Alright guys, so here's the deal." Weiss said, her voice cutting through the various discussions going on. "For the costume contest, the judges will be myself as head judge, Yang, Ren, and Velvet, a classmate of mine who agreed to do this. All of us will be in costume, of course. Nora, Jaune, what's our food situation?"

Nora cleared her throat and bounced up. "Well, I baked cookies. They're just plain old sugar cookies in Halloweeny shapes, so that should be good. We also have a really big cake I got from the bakery, should feed everyone. We also have a _shitload_ of candy." She then sat back down.

Weiss sighed. "What about actual _food_?" she asked with a less-than-patient tone to her voice. Jaune decided to answer that one.

"I know a guy at the local pizza place; he's getting us ten medium pizzas for a really good price. Two cheese, two pepperoni, two everything, two sausage, and two veggie. He said they're usually open all night on Halloween, so if we run out we can call him up. As for drinks, the fridge is currently stocked with cola, beer, and a few other assorted sodas."

Weiss nodded. "Good. Any options for non-pizza people?" she asked. Not that she could imagine any non-pizza people.

"We're assuming we'll have to order another round of food, so we'll be going around getting custom orders for grinders and such."

"Yang, Pyrrha, how many people are we expecting?"

"Somewhere in between fifty and seventy. We're not sure." Yang said, scratching her head. "I set up a few extra tables outside in the back, is that cool Ren?" Ren nodded and Yang continued. "We got forty definite yes's, five maybes. And we're pretty sure about half of those people are bringing a date."

"Well, the place looks amazing. Good job Ren and Blake. So I guess we're all good?" Weiss asked. Everyone nodded their affirmatives, and Weiss ended their little meeting. "Alright! We'll meet up here around five on Halloween, yes? We're starting at six and probably going all night. So get some rest!"

The group trickled out of the house, saying goodbye to Ren and his housemates as they drove back to the college. Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss were in one car with Pyrrha, Jaune, and Nora in another.

"This is gonna be fun! What're you going to dress up as?" Ruby asked no one in particular.

"I'm making Blake dress up as a full-on catgirl." Yang said, grinning. "I'm going as Athena, warrior goddess!"

Blake blushed and rolled her eyes a little. "I still hate that idea."

Yang kissed her quickly and grinned wider. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

"Weiss, what about you?" Ruby asked, turning to the girl next to her.

"I hadn't really thought about it yet." Weiss said. She was telling the truth, actually. She hadn't thought about it at all.

"I'm going as a butler. Blake had the idea after we watched this cool anime called Black Butler. She said I'd make a cool looking female Sebastian."

Weiss pictured Ruby in a butlers outfit holding glasses of champagne on a platter, one hand behind her back. She leaned back into her seat and was oblivious to her surroundings for a few moments.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby asked, as Weiss had gotten a funny look on her face.

"Shush. Trying to concentrate…" Weiss said as she closed her eyes…

…

The day of the party arrived and Weiss had yet to decide on a costume. Luckily, Yang had a brainwave.

"You should totally be Elsa!" She said, smiling.

"Who?" Weiss said, not understanding.

"You know? Frozen? That Disney movie everyone's going nuts about? You'd make an _awesome_ Elsa."

Weiss remembered Ruby showing her that movie not too long ago. She had thought it was pretty good, although she was never good with names of characters. She thought about it for a minute.

"Alright. I'll do it." She said, smiling. "I gotta get a dress or something though…" she muttered, thinking.

"Don't worry about that, I know a guy. Hold on, I'll be right back."

An hour later, Weiss was dressed in a sparkly, icy-blue dress. Her hair was done in a braid and she spun around a few times in front of the mirror. Yang was practically drooling.

"You look freaking _awesome_. I cannot wait to see Ruby's reaction to this." Weiss glared at her, feeling her face redden.

"I guess I do look pretty good." She acquiesced after looking at herself a bit more. "Now come on, we only have two hours left. Costume up!"

"Yikes! You're right! Where's my sword…?"

Meanwhile, across the hall…

"Blake! You look adorable!" Ruby was squealing as Blake emerged from the bathroom fully dressed up. She was in a one-piece costume, a slim-fitting furry black cat costume. It had a white belly and was slightly fuzzy. It also had a long tail, and Blake had gotten bigger ears for her normal cat-eared headband. She had also drawn whiskers on her face and made her nose black.

She blushed. "Really? It looks silly…" she muttered as she sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Really. You look really cute. Now help me with this coat, it's being really fussy." Ruby tried to get her costume on correctly, but kept getting stuck. Blake stood up and straightened it all out for her, then stood back and looked. "What do you think?"

Ruby was wearing jet-black pants with black shoes. She had a white shirt on with a black vest, and over that was a long black coat. Topping it all off was a black tie on her chest and white silk gloves.

"Very handsome. Weiss will blow a gasket." Blake said, smiling. Ruby grinned triumphantly.

"I have a good feeling about tonight." Ruby said, adjusting her gloves. "Let's go. They'll be waiting."

They crossed the hall and knocked on the door, to be greeted by an in-costume Yang. She wore a white, flowing dress with a snugly fitting breastplate, pauldrons, and an Athenian helmet. She even had a sword strapped to her waist.

Yang squealed at the sight of Blake. "Oh my goood! You look so cute! I just wanna eat you up!" She wrapped up her girlfriend in a hug, then removed her helmet and kissed her.

"Yang…" Blake said, and then hesitated. Then she sighed. "Thanks. And you look great too. Where's Weiss?"

"Coming!" they heard from inside the room. A few moments later, Weiss emerged after putting the finishing touches on their costumes.

Ruby and Weiss saw each other and both fell silent. They stared for a few moments, not exchanging a single word. Ruby was the first to break the silence after a minute.

"You're…Elsa." She commented. Weiss nodded. "You…look awesome. Wow." Ruby smiled and twirled. "What do you think of mine?"

In answer, Weiss gave Ruby a hug. "You look beautiful and handsome at the same time. It's weird."

Ruby giggled as she hugged Weiss back. "Thanks. Now come one, we're gonna be late."

They arrived at the house five minutes late and found Ren waiting with the door open. He was dressed as a ninja, and he waved them in. "Hey, you made it! Nora is already here, we're just waiting on Jaune and Pyrrha."

Nora was wearing silvery armor with red cloth, and she had a winged helmet on. She was carrying a big plastic hammer. "Hey guys!" she said, waving as they came in. "Guess who I am!"

"Thor?" Yang asked, grinning.

"Yep! Whaddya think?" Nora bounced happily.

"You look good Nora!" Ruby said, bouncing over to hug her friend. "Guess mine!"

Nora held Ruby at arm's length and stared, thinking hard. "Hmm….Black Butler?"

"Yeah! I'm Sebastian!" Ruby smiled. "But didya see Weiss's costume? And Blakes?"

As Nora squealed over Blake and admired Weiss, Jaune and Pyrrha arrived. Pyrrha was in a pink dress looking a little less than happy, while Jaune was dressed in red with blue overalls, with a big M on the front. He also wore a weird-looking hat.

"Jaune…Pyrrha…are you two…Mario and Peach?" Yang asked, giggling. "That…that is freaking fantastic. I need a picture of this." Digging out her cell, she snapped a picture.

Pyrrha grumbled. "This is embarrassing. I wanted to be Catwoman, but noooo. We had to _match_."

Jaune grinned. "Nothing like a little nostalgia to make a Halloween! So, are we all here?"

Everyone confirmed they were here, and they performed last minute setup. Jaune went to grab the pizza, Nora set up the desserts, Blake and Ren double and triple-checked the decorations and Yang sat around and made sure she wasn't going to break anything with her sword.

Ruby sat down discreetly next to Yang as she was getting comfortable.

"What's up Ruby?" she asked, looking around.

"We good to go for Operation: White Rose?" Ruby asked discreetly, making sure Weiss wasn't around.

Yang smiled. "Yup! Me and Ren are gonna fudge some of the results, and make sure that you get picked as Weiss's Favorite. Assuming she doesn't pick you anyway."

"And Velvet?" Ruby asked.

"She's the only wildcard. But don't worry, we got this! We got this." Yang clapped her sister's shoulder and shook it gently. "Are _you_ ready?" she asked.

"I think so. I feel like I have butterflies in my tummy and my heart is going Mach 4, but I'm doing okay." Ruby said, giggling a little.

Yang grinned. "Awesome. Good luck sis."

Ruby nodded. She was gonna need it.

Meanwhile, Weiss was talking to Blake. "Are you sure it'll work?"

"Don't worry. Project Ice Flower is _guaranteed _to work." Blake said as she looked around the room. "Do you want to run over it again?"

Weiss nodded. "So, after the judging of the contest, your friend Sun is going to spill a drink on me and act like a douche about it. But we need to make sure Ruby is around for it. Then, hopefully, she volunteers to help me out. Then…"

"Then you make your magic. Cool? You ready? Nervous?" Blake asked, smiling.

Weiss nodded sheepishly. "I feel like puking. But it'll be worth it. Right?"

Blake nodded reassuringly. "Of course! Now shush, she's coming over here."

Ruby grabbed Weiss's shoulder and pulled her off to the side. "Hey, come on! People are arriving; you need to get a good look at all the costumes! You are head judge after all."

Weiss gulped and took a deep breath, as did Ruby. But both of them were so absorbed in their own thoughts neither noticed the other was doing the exact same.

As people arrived and started talking and starting the party, the two girls stood next to each other watching and thinking the same thing.

_Tonight is the night. Tonight is the night I say it._

_ I love you._

**Author's Note**

**Oh I'm just cruel aren't I? Giving you a two-part chapter for some serious squee. So, Halloween party! Fun, right? I hope so. And I wish good luck to the two of them; let's see if their so-called 'foolproof' plans work out! Mua ha ha.**

**And I wish you guys good luck too! Make sure your hearts don't explode reading this. I'd be very sad if you died of frustration/squee/anticipation/potato.**

**Also, this is the second chapter that ends with them both thinking 'I love you.' Don't worry, soon they'll be saying to each other! Along with lots of other things ;)**

**As always, remember to review! Detailed reviews make for a happy Spike! And a happy Spike makes for speedy chapters! And the faster your chapters come the sooner you get your squee. So, leaving a detailed review is a win-win situation!**

**Please, enjoy Chapter Ten – The Fateful Party, Pt. 1, and have a wonderful day.**

**Spike**


	11. The Fateful Party - Part Two

"Weiss! Hurry up, time to start judging!" Yang said, dragging Weiss away from Ruby's side. "You gotta get a good look at everyone; we've got like thirty people in this thing." As Yang dragged Weiss away, she winked at Ruby and mouthed _Get into position!_ at her.

Ruby nodded and gulped. She moved into the sitting room where there was a large group of people milling around, and at one end was a table with four clipboards on it. Ren and Velvet were sitting down, and soon enough Weiss and Yang joined them.

"Alright you guys, simmer down! We're gonna get a good look at each of your costumes; figure out what the hell you are, then we'll judge you. Alright? Alright. Now, Cardin Winchester come up please…" Ren said as a large boy dressed as Hellboy walked up to the table.

This went on for a while, the four judges examining everything from a ghoul to a Magical Girl, and finally Ruby heard Yang call out "And Ruby, get up here!"

Ruby walked up to the table and saw Weiss's mouth drop a little as she whispered in Yang's ear. Shrugging her off, Yang introduced Ruby to Velvet and then proceeded to ask her a few questions. "Who are you supposed to be?"

Ruby gulped. "Um, Sebastian. From Black Butler." Velvet grinned at this.

After a few more minutes, they waved her back and they began discussing something. Five minutes later, Ren said "Alright. We will be announcing the results at midnight, so in three hours. Until then, have fun guys!"

People filtered back into the main area of the house, and Ruby was about to get out when she was pounced on.

"You didn't tell me you were entering!" Weiss said in her ear, causing Ruby to jump a little.

"I didn't? Oh. Sorry! Was I not supposed to?" Ruby grinned sheepishly, trying to hide her nervousness. She laughed a little and scratched the back of her head.

"No, it's fine. But I'm now a bit suspicious as to that last category you added." Weiss said pointedly, staring at Ruby, who just stuck her tongue out.

"Anyway, where's Yang?" Ruby asked, looking around. "I wanna talk to her."

"Not sure. But I'd guess she's by the pizza." Weiss said, and Ruby walked off. Sighing, Weiss located a certain catgirl hiding away in the corner. "Blake?" she asked, confused.

"Oh! Hi Weiss…" Blake said, looking around the room.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.

"Hiding. From Yang, mostly." Blake said, blushing. "I don't trust her to be….tactful. In a place like this, where there is much alcohol."

Weiss nodded. "Anyway, did you know Ruby was entering in the costume contest?"

Blake blinked and answered a little too quickly. "Um, no. She entered? But didn't she help design the thing?"

"She isn't a judge, so it isn't _too_ bad. But I wish I had known that when she made up that last prize category..." Weiss muttered, thinking.

Blake shifted uncomfortably. Weiss attributed it to her being still less-than happy about her costume, but Blake was also pointedly avoiding looking at her, which she luckily didn't notice.

"Hmm…" Weiss was still thinking. "What is she up too…?"

Clearing her throat, Blake spoke up. "A-anyway, when do you want to implement Project Ice Flower?"

"Shush! Not so loud, moron!" Weiss said, clamping her hand over Blake's mouth. "And not yet. Now it has to be after the judging, because Ruby might actually win something and if we go off alone it'll look suspicious."

Blake rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Are you sure you aren't just nervous?" she asked dryly, smiling.

Weiss blushed. "Quiet!" she said in a loud whisper as she turned around and stomped off, but not before throwing an "I'll let you know when we move into phase one!"

Blake giggled and texted Yang.

_How are things with Subject No. 1?_

_ Just met up with her. She's nervous, but I'm calming her down now. We all good on your end?_

_ Weiss wants to wait till after the judging. _

_ Perfect. _

Yang smiled as she texted her girlfriend back, Ruby sitting next to her on a couch.

"Yang, I'm really nervous. What if she rejects me? What if she gets all creeped out and doesn't want to be my friend anymore? What if-"

"Ruby! Trust me; it isn't going to come to that." Yang said, throwing an arm around her little sister.

Letting out a big sigh, Ruby leaned into Yang. "I hope so…"

"Anyway, have I said how much I like your costume? You make a damn fine butler."

Ruby punched her sister in the leg. "Shut _up_. I'm not just any butler you know. I'm Sebastian!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, big scary demon thingy. Blake made me sit through that thing and I fell asleep most of the time."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "_Most_ of the time?"

"Well, we were usually doing other stuff like-"

"Ew! Ew. I don't want to know." Ruby said, covering Yang's face with her hands. Yang laughed and pulled Ruby closer to her.

"Good luck tonight." Yang said softly, playing with a bit of Ruby's hair.

"Thanks." she answered, and stood up after a few minutes. "You and Ren doing well?"

Yang coughed. "Yeah! Yeah, just fine. You should go find Blake, I think she's hiding."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, and then walked off to find her friend. Yang sighed and texted Ren quick.

_How goes it?_

_ Going to be difficult. Weiss is stubborn and really liked that Captain Jack costume that Sun wore._

_ Right…Sun. Hmm…. _

_ What are you thinking?_

_ Abort mission. I have an idea…_

…

Ruby found Blake sitting in a corner playing around with her tail. She sat down next to her and poked her nose.

"Boop." Ruby said, giggling.

Blake blinked and looked at her. "_Mew_."

Ruby melted. "Blaaake! Did you seriously just mewl at me! That was so cuute! Do it again!"

Blake blushed and looked at her feet. "Nooo. I was practicing for…..ummmm….nothing."

"Oh? Would this nothing happen to be blonde, dressed as Athena, and be my older sister?"

Shoving Ruby to the side, Blake turned redder. "No! Maybe. Shut up."

Ruby laughed and cuddled up to her friend, who sighed and put her arm around her. "Why are you hiding back here anyway?"

"I'm hiding from Yang. I don't trust her to act decent with so much alcohol around." Blake said in a very matter-of-fact voice, even though her face was still red.

Ruby giggled. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I wonder how much she's had already."

Blake rolled her eyes. "If I know Yang, which I hope I do, too much."

Ruby hugged her friend and let out a deep sigh. "Hey Blake?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love Yang?"

Blake felt her face heat up. "Um…yeah. I mean, yes. Of course."

Ruby nodded. "Is it easy to say it?"

Pondering for a moment, Blake frowned. "Sort of. It depends. If it's just us, then yeah, it's pretty easy. If there's other people around, then it's a little harder. I'm not sure why. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just nervous." Ruby said, fiddling with Blake's tail.

"Ah that's right, you're telling her tonight huh?" Blake said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll do great. Do you have a plan?"

Ruby nodded. "Sort of. Kinda. More of a half-plan. I hadn't really thought about it."

"Yang told me you're trying to get Weiss's Favorite for the costume contest?"

"She said she wasn't telling anyone!" Ruby said indignantly. Then she sighed. "Yeah. Part of the prize is that the winner gets to have a drink with Weiss. We thought it'd be funny to see people stumbling over themselves to try to impress her."

"And was it?"

Ruby thought back to the sitting room, where almost all the boys had tried to look fancy and paid a lot of attention to Weiss. She giggled. "Yeah. It was pretty funny."

"So what do you do if you get picked?"

Ruby was silent.

"Half plan, huh?"

"Shut up."

…

Judging time rolled around and everyone fell silent as a rather tipsy Yang stood up on a table and began reading aloud from a clipboard.

"Alright guys, so here's the results for the contest. Your beautiful judges, and Weiss-"

"Hey!"

"Eheh, sorry. As I was saying, us judges have been delibalating…deriverating…um…talking about it for a few hours now and we have your results!" People laughed at Yangs unintentional comedy, and she held her hand up as she read out the winners and the prizes.

Ruby was wringing her hands in anticipation as various costumes walked up and bowed, curtsied, shouted profanity, or otherwise accepted their rewards and praise. And finally they got to the end of the list, where Yang nearly fell of the table offering it to Weiss.

"I'm not standing on a table." She said haughtily. Yang held up her hands in a 'whoa' gesture and backed off.

Weiss cleared her throat. "Anyway, the last category is, as you know, the Head Judge's Favorite. That's me. And while you all had great costumes, I have come to a decision."

Ruby bit her lip in anticipation.

"The winner is Sun Wukong with his quite excellently done Jack Sparrow costume!"

Ruby's jaw dropped as a well-built blonde walked up to Weiss with a strange sway in his step.

"That's _Captain_. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow." He said, speaking in an odd voice that somehow combined a drunken slur and precise enunciation on odd syllables. "And thank you, Queen Elsa, for bestowing on me this great, great honor. Now, allow me to get you a drink! Where has the rum gone, anyway?"

Weiss giggled as Sun dragged her over to the table, Ruby staring in disbelief. Yang walked over to her and dragged her off to the side.

"What _happened_?" Ruby hissed.

"I dunno. Weiss changed her mind, I guess. She's really stubborn y'know…" Yang said, scratching her head. "Do we have a plan B?"

"No we don't have a plan B!" Ruby said in a scorching whisper, holding her head in her hands and groaning.

"Hey, it's okay. We'll think of something."

Ruby shook her head, and then heard Weiss cry out.

"Hey! Watch your drink, asshole!"

Ruby and Yang perked up and quickly walked over to where the noise was coming from. Sun was smiling sheepishly, and Weiss had some form of liquid all over the front of her dress.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Didn't think you were gonna just let go like that."

"Jeez! Now I'm all soaked!" Weiss said. "I gotta change…"

Ruby saw an opportunity, but her sister beat her to it.

"Hey Weiss, that dress was a pain and a half to get you into. Lemme help you out, I have your change of clothes in the car." Weiss opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and walked off with Yang, yanking her phone out of the purse she had brought with her, furiously texting.

…

In the corner of the room, Blake heard a small _cling_ come from her phone.

_WTF Blake? Your girlfriend just intercepted our target!_

Blake rubbed her eyes and smiled a little.

_Uh oh._ She texted, her tongue poking out of her mouth a little as she thought. _What do we do?_

_ I don't know! Think of something!_

Blake grinned. Things were going perfectly. She stood up and stretched and went off to find the inevitably disappointed Ruby.

She found her on the back porch, just sitting there. "Hey Ruby, you okay?"

"No."

Blake sat next to her and stared at the sky. "I assume it all went to hell?"

"Yang was a drunken ass and it all went to hell."

Nodding, Blake clapped her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Guess that's just the way things happen. The world ends, not with a bang, but with a drunken sister."

"I don't think that's how the quote goes." Ruby said in a sour voice.

Blake shrugged and gave Ruby a cookie. "Eat that. Then close your eyes."

Ruby took the cookie and ate it. "What for?"

Smiling, Blake took Ruby's hands and stood her up. "Trust me."

Ruby closed her eyes and Blake led her down a stone pathway…

…

"This is just nasty! Thank god I was planning on changing anyway…" Weiss muttered furiously as Yang dug out her change of clothes.

"Change in the car quick, I gotta do something." Yang said her voice suddenly clear and unslurred.

"What? Why in the car?" Weiss said a little too harshly, but Yang didn't really care.

"Just do it and trust me. Change in the car, and then wait for me to come get you. Don't get out of the car."

"Fine."

…

Blake left Ruby telling her not to open her eyes under any circumstances, and met up with Yang.

"She in position?" Yang asked in a hushed voice.

"Yup. She thinks I'm getting her something. Which I technically am." Blake said. "How goes it for you?"

"She's changing. Pretty upset too, you guys' plan failed miserably."

"As intended. Now, I'm gonna go back inside, but Ruby is currently sitting on that marble bench we saw."

Yang nodded and quickly ran back to the car, and she rapped on the door. "You done?"

Weiss huffed and said. "Yes. What are you doing anyway?" Yang opened the door and grinned.

"Close your eyes and come with me."

"What?!"

"Just do it."

…

Ruby was sitting on a hard surface, and from the noises, she guessed she was near some bushes of some sort. She heard the chittering of crickets and the gentle swish of leaves moving in the gentle breeze. She sat and waited for Blake, and sure enough she soon heard crunching along what sounded like a gravel path.

"Blake? That you?" she called out, but received no answer.

Yang led Weiss carefully down into the backyard and into a small garden. Weiss still had her eyes shut as they crunched on the gravel and heard Ruby's call. Yang covered Weiss's mouth quickly and whispered in her ear.

"Say. Nothing." Weiss couldn't have even if she wanted too, so she nodded. "We're in this neat Zen garden thing Ren set up. When I tap on your shoulder, sit down. Then in thirty seconds, open your eyes."

Weiss sat down when she was told and heard the quick crunch of Yang running off.

"Blake? Blake, what's going on…?" she heard Ruby say, a small trickle of fear finding its way into her voice.

Under her breath, Weiss counted out thirty seconds and opened her eyes. And what she saw nearly made her gasp. The moon was full with no clouds in the sky, and the stars twinkled down upon a beautiful arrangement of bushes taller than her. There was a small archway with the gravel path she had just walked on, and there were three marble benches inside the little alcove of bushes.

Across from her, not five feet away, sat Ruby Rose, her eyes shut and her hands clasped in her lap. A lonely tear ran down the side of her face as she called out again for her friend.

"Ruby…" Weiss whispered as she slowly stood up and began walking.

"Blake? Blake this isn't funny anymore. I'm opening my eyes." Ruby said, but before she could she felt a hand clamping over them. "Ahh! Who is that?"

She heard a soft voice in her ear. "Ruby, I want you to calm down. In thirty seconds, I'm going to move my hand, and I want you to be calm, okay?"

"Weiss?" Ruby said, surprise evident in her voice.

"Shush. Thirty seconds. Calm." Weiss said in the same soft tone as she sat down next to Ruby, her hand still over her eyes.

Ruby let out a shaky breath and waited. When the hand moved, she saw Weiss, wearing the dress she had worn to Pyrrha's party. "Weiss…" Ruby whispered, not believing her eyes.

"I thought…I thought you'd like it." Weiss said, smiling gently, laying her hand over Ruby's.

"What…what is this?" Ruby said, her eyes wide.

Chuckling, Weiss shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really know."

The two of them sat still for a few seconds, so close and yet so far away. But Ruby stared right into Weiss's eyes and felt herself slowly leaning forward.

"Weiss…I need…I need to tell you something."

"I do too…but…you go first." Weiss said, gripping Ruby's hand.

"Weiss…I…I think that…I think I'm in love with you." Ruby said, her voice barely audible when she was done. Weiss's head dropped, and she felt her eyes welling up and the tears dripping down over her face. "Weiss? Are you…oh, no, I screwed up…Weiss I'm sorry…" Ruby said, her voice choking up.

Weiss shook her head. "Weiss, I'm so sorry, please forgive me!" Ruby said, her voice a little panicked now.

Weiss looked up with tears in her eyes and a smile on her head. "You _dolt_." She said in a voice so full of love and affection she thought it would break. Before Ruby could react, Weiss had leaned in and she pressed her lips to hers.

Ruby felt happier than ever before as she let go of Weiss's hand and wrapped her arms around her neck as she kissed her back.

They broke apart after almost half a minute, breathing heavily. They kissed twice, three, four times more as they held each other tight.

"Ruby, I love you…" Weiss said, her voice strained and tight. "I love you so much…"

"I love you too Weiss." Ruby whispered, her arms tight around her. "Gods, I'm so happy right now…"

Weiss leaned back and laughed, wiping her eyes. "_You're_ happy? I've been trying to do this for weeks!"

Ruby smiled and laughed as well. "You should have told me earlier…"

"I know, I know. But it was…surprisingly difficult. And the interruptions didn't help."

"So all those times you told me you wanted to tell me something…?" Ruby asked hesitantly, finding Weiss's hand again with hers and gripping tight.

"It was this, the whole time. I even had it all planned out tonight too, but that all went to hell."

"Mine did too. What happened to yours?"

"Yang happened. What about you?"

Ruby blinked and her eyes narrowed. "Wait. _Yang ruined your-"_

"Surprise?" A voice came from outside the bushes, causing Ruby and Weiss to jump and yell out in surprise. Blake and Yang walked in and sat on the bench opposite to them and they both looked a bit embarrassed, although Yang looked rather proud of herself.

"You….you…you…!" Ruby said, although she couldn't think of any word fitting for this situation.

"I'm sorry Ruby, but we both were so tired of seeing you guys dance around this. We decided to have just a teensy bit of fun…" Blake said, rubbing the back of her head.

"You both _knew?!"_ Ruby screeched. "The whole time?!"

The two girls nodded, looking guilty. "Yeah. And Pyrrha. And Jaune. And Ren. And Nora."

Weiss looked appalled. "You two are such…such….argh!"

Yang smiled. "But it was worth it right!? I mean, our plan worked!"

Ruby and Weiss looked at each other and smiled. "Yeah," Ruby said, smiling. "It did."

"So no harm done, right?" Blake said, a little nervous.

Both girls' heads snapped back towards them. "Oh no." Weiss said, her eyes gaining a rather…malevolent gleam. "You are both going to pay _dearly_ for this little escapade."

Yang gulped. "No, it was my idea! Don't drag Blake into this."

Ruby smiled. "Oh, I know that look. You're _both_ in hot water."

Yang and Blake looked at each other and seemed to telepathically communicate, as both of them stood up and bolted at the same moment.

"Do you want to chase them?" Ruby asked, giggling.

"No. Not right now. Right now, I'd rather do this…" Weiss said, leaning in to kiss Ruby again, holding it for a while.

When they finally disconnected, Ruby took a deep breath and her face was really red. "O-oh. Okay…" she said as the two girls resumed kissing underneath a full moon.

…

Blake and Yang walked back to the house, looking behind them at the two friends that were finally done being stupid.

"We did well, eh?" Yang said, grinning.

"They weren't serious, were they?" Blake asked, her face a little less than pleased. "I mean, they were just joking about getting us back?"

Yang blinked. "I…um…wouldn't bet on it."

Blake sighed and leaned into Yang, kissing her quick. "This is all your fault."

"Yeah, sorry."

"You can make it up to me later."

Yang laughed, and they walked back into the house.

**Author's Note**

**HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH. THE FEEELZ TOO MANY FEELZ.**

**I think I've outdone myself here. Seriously. That scene in the little garden thingy took a while! I had to get it right, you know? **

**In all seriousness, I like how this turned out. Now we have finally resolved that bit, stories over right? Right?**

**Why are you looking at me like that? You're scaring me. Wait, is that a pitchfork? **

**Wait! Wait, we can come to an understanding, right? Right? I can write more chapters! Yeah! How many? Um…I don't know.**

**Nonono put it down! Don't spear me. How about…ten more. For this arc. Yeah? Then that'll be the end of summer and we can start a new arc with the second school year if you guys still like it! Yeah? Good. Now just put the pitchforks doooown…there we go.**

**Whew. **

**But yeah, so I'd call this our halfway point in the first arc. I'll have to think up some more things to keep the story interesting, but don't worry, I'll come up with something. Come to think of it, I still haven't introduced Penny yet….and Weiss does strike me as the jealous lover…hmmm….gears are turning.**

**Anyway! I hope your jimmies have been unrustled by the latest and greatest installment of Every Rose Has its Thorns, and please remember to review! You guys have been dropping the ball lately! Although I do want to thank a certain guest reviewer who keeps going by XAnonymous. Dude, you have reviewed every damn chapter I've put out so far and I couldn't be more thankful. I look forward to reading your review almost as much as you look forward to my chapters, so I hope you stick around!**

**As always, enjoy Chapter 11 – The Fateful Party Part Two, and have a wonderful day.**

**Spike**


	12. First Date

Ruby felt like someone was shaking her. Her ship was rocking back and forth and her crew was falling overboard.

"Arr mateys, hold on tight! A storm be upon us!" she shouted from the wheel as she turned her ship away from the storm. As she sailed forward, a massive head appeared in the sky.

"Ruby! Ruby, wake up!" the head looked strangely like her first mate, Blake. What was she doing up there?

"Augh! Blake, yer head be in the sky!" Ruby yelled, pointing at the giant head with her sword.

"What? Ruby, I'm right here." Blake said, giggling.

Ruby blinked a few times and realized she was in her bed. Blake was sitting next to her, with her hands still on her shoulders. "Oh. What was I doing?"

"You said something about my head being in the sky."

"Weird dream. Why'd you get me up? I told you to wake me up later at…at…wait, what time is it?"

"You overslept, dingus. It's eleven. You have one hour to get ready." Blake said, a smile on her face. Ruby blanched and threw the covers off herself and raced to her wardrobe.

"Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrap! I'm gonna be late!" Ruby panicked as she sifted through her clothes, looking for something clean.

"Ruby, you shouldn't panic. It'll be fine."

"Says you. Now where's my skirt, I thought I had it right here!" Ruby looked behind and under her dresser, a puzzled look on her face. "Did you move it?"

"Ruby, I put your outfit in the bathroom like you asked so you could jump right in the shower. Honestly, you are such a scatterbrain." Blake said with a giggle, poking Ruby in the small of her back. Ruby squealed and raced into the bathroom and soon enough the rushing of the shower was heard.

Blake shook her head. "Moron," she muttered, but she had a big smile on her face. Ruby was still as much of a dolt as ever, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Fifteen minutes later, a wet-haired Ruby emerged from the bathroom, tugging her shirt on. Blake sighed in an exasperated manner.

"What? Did I miss a spot? Is my shirt on backwards?" Ruby said, looking herself over.

"Dry your hair, doofus." Blake said, throwing a towel at her. Ruby scowled and rubbed the towel on her head till her hair was a frizzy mess. Blake giggled and, sitting down on her bed, motioned her over. "Get over here, lemme help you."

Ruby sat down in Blakes lap and flinched. "Ow! Blake, what are you, ow, doing!"

Blake scraped a brush through Ruby's frizzed up, tangled hair. "Making sure you don't look like a stray dog for your date. Now hold still."

"I don't look like a stray dog!" Ruby protested, wincing again at the pull of the brush.

"Yes, Ruby, you do. And I said hold still!" Blake said, continuing to wrestle with Ruby's hair. After ten minutes, she sighed and put the brush down. "Done."

Ruby turned around and threw her arms around Blake. "Thanks. What are you gonna do today?"

An evil glint in her eyes, Blake merely winked and said "Stuff."

Ruby thought for a moment before it clicked. "Ew. Ew, ew, _ew. _Ew." She said, sticking her tongue out.

"Oh quiet you. Now go on, I'm sure she's waiting for you."

"You think? What if I'm too early? Is that bad?" Ruby said, back to panic mode.

"Ruby, thirty minutes ago you were worried about being late!"

"Yeah, well…that was thirty minutes ago!"

Blake put her face in her hand, sighing. "Just go. Leave me be so I can bang my head on a wall."

That got a laugh out of Ruby, who acquiesced and walked out. "Sorry. See ya later!"

"Bye." As soon as the door clicked shut, Blake collapsed back on her bed and pulled out her phone.

_Watchu doin this afternoon~?_ She began texting…

…

"I hope she remembers."

"She'll remember."

"What if she doesn't?"

"She will."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Yang and Weiss had been having what seemed to Yang this exact same back-and-forth exchange for the past hour. Weiss had woken up at nine-o-clock to make sure everything was ready, and Yang still had a little bit of hangover from yesterdays party.

"How can you be sure? You know how she is." Weiss said, pacing back and forth in their room.

"She's my baby sister, stupid. And besides, I think she'll remember something this important." Yang said, talking to Weiss while trying to catch Zapdos. "Get over here you electronic cat-bait…" she muttered as Weiss continued her pacing.

"You think so?"

Yang sighed. Her phone buzzed and she picked it up, seeing a text from Blake. "She's on her way now, actually." She said, texting her back.

_Noooothing~_

Right on cue, there was a knock at the door and Weiss jumped in the air with a squeak. "Ah! Yang whatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoido? She's here!"

"You open the door and say hello, stupid." Yang said, laughing.

Weiss blinked. "Right. Of course. Say hi. Not hard at all." She walked over to the door and opened it, and found Ruby standing there, her hands clasped behind her back and she swayed from side to side.

"Um…" she said nervously. "Hi."

"Hi." Weiss responded, not really sure what to do next.

"You, um, ready to go?"

Nodding, Weiss walked out into the hallway and shut the door. "Yeah. Let's go."

Ruby instinctively grabbed Weiss's hand, causing her to flinch. "Oh! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!" she said, letting go.

"No! You didn't scare me. It's just…we were only holding hands as friends before." Weiss said, blushing a little, fumbling after Ruby's hand again, grasping it firmly.

Ruby blushed too. "Oh."

The two girls walked to the parking lot in this slightly awkward silence, and as they climbed into Weiss's car it only got worse. You could have cut the awkward with a knife.

They drove for a little while, and then Ruby cleared her throat.

"How, um, how did you sleep?"

"Good! Really good." Weiss answered quickly. "Yang was out like a light. She didn't even change."

"She was probably drunk." Ruby commented. Weiss gave her a funny look and she amended that sentence. "Check that, definitely drunk."

They both laughed at that, and drove to the Goodwitch Café in a much less awkward silence.

Sitting down at their table, one of the waiters walked up to them.

"Hey guys! No lovey dovey couple today?" The waitress was a red-haired girl a little taller than Ruby. She was dressed in green and silver, and her hair was curled at the ends.

"Um, actually Penny," Ruby started, trying to figure out how to say it.

"Ahh, they're busy huh?" Penny winked and sat next to Ruby throwing her arm around her. "I get it. So it's just you two?"

Ruby greeted her friend with a hug, and then saw Weiss pouting a little with an odd look in her eye. "Um, yeah. Just us. We're kind of on a…umm…"

Penny looked expectantly at Ruby, who continued 'umm'-ing for about half a minute, then Weiss spoke up.

"Date, Penny. We're on a date." Her voice was curt as she glared a little at Penny, who shrank a little under the gaze of Weiss.

Then it clicked in her eyes. "Ohhh! Wow. I, uh, didn't really see that coming." She said, letting out a funny chuckle. "Well, um, what can I get for you?" she said, disengaging herself from Ruby and pulling out a notepad, chewing on a pencil.

They gave their orders and Penny rushed off to the kitchen.

"That was weird." Ruby said, staring after Penny. "She's usually more bubbly than that."

"She probably realized she was intruding." Weiss said pointedly, still pouting a little. Ruby looked at her face and smiled, leaning over to poke her nose.

"Boop."

Weiss tried to keep a straight face for as long as possible, but eventually she broke down and giggled, a smile wide on her face. Ruby started laughing too, and they continued till Penny brought over the drinks.

"Thanks Penny." Ruby said, taking a long drink from her Coke, Weiss gently sipping her iced tea. Ruby noticed a little note stuck to the bottom of her glass that said _Ruby_ on it. She pocketed it to read later. Penny was always giving her these weird little notes.

"How did Blake do?" Weiss asked.

"She didn't drink. Yang drank enough for both of them." Ruby said. "I think she's nervous though."

Weiss grinned. "Good. We'll have to think up some proper revenge at some point." She rubbed her hands together in anticipation, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Ruby laughed. "Oh, most definitely. However, for now, let's think about more pleasant things."

"Revenge _is_ pleasant," Weiss protested, then she thought about it. "Oh."

Leaning over, Ruby quickly pressed her lips to Weiss's, then sat back down with her face as red as a tomato. Weiss shared the same color, and they both had little smiles on their faces.

"I'm never getting used to that." Ruby said in a soft voice, giggling.

"Me neither." Weiss said, her smile growing wider.

The two girls talked until their food came, then no sound was heard except the occasional clink of a fork or gulping of a drink. After a while the plates were clear and the check paid for, and they sat on a bench on the sidewalk, Ruby leaning against Weiss, who had her arm around her.

"This is nice." Ruby commented, cuddling closer. "We should do this more often."

Weiss smiled and rubbed Ruby's arm a little. "I like that idea."

"I love you Weiss." Ruby said, kissing her on the cheek. Chills ran down Weiss's spine as she said it, and she wrapped her arms around her.

"I love you too." She said, nuzzling the top of Ruby's head. Sighing, they allowed a few more minutes of silence to permeate the air. Then Weiss spoke up again. "I wonder what Blake and Yang are doing."

Ruby groaned. "I _don't_ want to think about it."

Weiss laughed. "What? It's not like it's a secret that they do that stuff."

"It's still my sister and best friend we're talking about, doofus."

"Dolt."

"Ice Queen."

They both giggled and cuddled closer. "Is that all that you're averse to?" Weiss asked, curious.

Ruby blushed. "W-w-what do you mean?"

"I mean are you…y'know…" Weiss said, hoping Ruby got the hint.

She did.

"T-t-that's….i-i-it's…that is…." Ruby stuttered, her mouth not obeying her brains commands.

"What?" Weiss asked, trying to hold in a smile.

"What does it matter?" Ruby said, her face turning redder by the second.

"Is that a yes?"

"Shut up!"

"So it is a yes?"

"…..yes. Now shut the hell up and kiss me." Ruby said, kissing Weiss again, who quite willingly returned it.

After they broke off, Weiss giggled. "Nice try. But you can't change the subject that easily."

"Oh come on!" Ruby whined, putting on her puppy dog eyes.

Weiss pulled Ruby onto her lap and held her there. "To be honest, I'm not surprised. You definitely seem the type to…save yourself. For someone special."

Ruby blushed. "That's not really it."

Weiss blinked. "It's not?"

"Weiss…how many relationships do you think I've _had_?" Ruby asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Ummm…two or three? At least? You had to have had at least a few." Weiss said, her face serious as she thought.

Ruby shook her head and Weiss's jaw dropped a little. "What? No. No way. How many?"

In response, Ruby made a circle with her thumb and index finger. Weiss gasped.

"You mean…I'm…" she said slowly, making sure she knew what Ruby was telling her.

"Yes, Weiss, you're my first girlfriend. Ever."

Weiss smiled and pulled Ruby close. "Good. Because you're my first too."

"Girlfriend or relationship?" Ruby asked, smiling despite herself.

"Both, silly. I never had any real friends growing up, you think I got myself a boyfriend? Please. None of them would have touched me with a ten-foot pole." Weiss scoffed.

"Sucks for them then." Ruby said, giggling. "Now can we talk about something else? We are in public you know."

"I've kept my voice down! But sure."

They talked for another hour before heading back to the dorm. As they drove back, they were far more relaxed than when they had arrived.

…

"Hey Weiss, you wanna watch a movie?" Ruby said as they approached their rooms.

"No, sorry, I have to study. Maybe later?" Weiss said, frowning a little.

"Sure! Seeya." Ruby said, turning away to walk into her room. Then she stopped and turned around.

Weiss let out a loud _mmph_ as Ruby threw her arms around her and kissed her, and she staggered back a little bit before returning the affection.

"Love you Weiss. Bye." Ruby said, squeezing Weiss close.

"Love you too. See ya." Weiss said, her face a little red, though whether from embarrassment or oxygen deprivation she couldn't tell. She walked into her room and noticed Yang wasn't there. All the better for her, she thought. She can study in peace.

Or so she thought.

"Why is there a sock on the door?" Ruby wondered aloud as she unlocked the door. Weiss panicked.

_Shit._ She thought as she ran back out. "Ruby, wait, don't open the-"

"WHAT THE HELL?" Ruby shrieked as she saw her sister and Blake in bed together, articles of clothing strewn around the room. Weiss ran in right behind her, and immediately regretted it.

"Son of a…" she muttered as Ruby turned around and closed her eyes.

"Umm….hi guys?" Yang said, her face quite red as she wrapped the blanket around herself. Blake was somehow not to be seen, however there was a very suspicious quivering lump under the blankets.

…

"You could have warned me you know." Ruby said venomously as she drank from her mug of cocoa that Blake had made her.

Yang was kneeling on the ground next to Ruby's seat, begging forgiveness. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize you didn't know what the sock meant! Please forgive me!"

Ruby pointedly ignored her sister as she glared at Blake, who was refusing to look at her.

"Ruby c'mon, just look at me." Yang said, scooting around to the other side of the bed.

"Nope." Ruby said, looking away.

"Please?"

"Nuh uh."

"Pretty please?"

"Nope."

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

Ruby sighed and turned around and looked at her sister. "Stand up."

Yang stood, a confused look on her face. Ruby stood up and stared her sister dead in the face. Then socked her in the stomach.

Yang doubled over and let out a loud '_oomph_'. Blake rushed to her, but Yang held out a hand and wheezed out "I'm okay! I'm alright." Standing up straight, she took a huge breath. "Okay. I suppose I deserved that one. Sorry Ruby."

Ruby hugged her sister. "It's okay. Now I know better, but you guys need to give me a better warning than that next time."

"We didn't know how long you were gonna be." Blake said. Ruby jumped, as it was the first time she had spoken since she had arrived. Ruby walked over and hugged Blake too.

"The only reason I'm not punching you is because I know Yang can take it." Ruby muttered as she buried her face into Blake's shoulder. Blake hugged her back and let out a relieved sigh.

"Also because I would not forgive such transgressions and would hold a massive grudge." Yang said in a serious tone, although she had a smile on her face. Ruby giggled.

"That too."

"Where'd Weiss go, by the way?" Yang asked, looking around.

"She went to go study. And maybe barf a little." Ruby said, causing Yang to groan. "Now shoo, I want to watch a movie. And you aren't allowed in this apartment for a few days."

Yang opened her mouth to protest, then realized her sister was serious and left, muttering something about the gym.

Ruby dragged Blake over to her bed, ignoring Blake's, and lied down on it. "You're watching too."

Blake offered no argument as she lay next to Ruby, who snuggled up to her as she put on a movie called _The Secret of Kells_.

"Blake?" Ruby said after a little bit.

"Yeah?" Blake asked, a bit nervous.

"You're gross."

Blake laughed and poked Ruby's cheek. "Oh trust me, soon enough you'll be acting 'gross' too."

Ruby stuck her tongue out as she continued watching the movie.

…

After the movie was done and Blake left to meet some friends, Ruby stuck her hands in her pocket to look for her phone and encountered a piece of paper. She realized it was the note Penny left her. She opened it up, and discovered it was a bit longer than usual.

_Ruby, are you okay? Is Weiss making you do this? I know you wouldn't date _her_, she's always so mean to you. Insulting you all the time, calling you stupid. You be sure to call me if you ever need any help, okay!_

_ Your friend, Penny_

Ruby sighed and put the note on her desk. Penny was a good friend, but she had a tendency to overreact. She resolved to call her and tell her she was fine, as she had included a phone number with the note. But not tonight.

Tonight she had dinner with Weiss, Blake, and Yang. But not at the café, Ruby decided. That'd be a bit weird having to explain with everyone right there. Much easier to do it over the phone.

_And what was with Weiss's reaction to Penny?_ Ruby thought, confused. _That's how we always greet each other. What was that weird look she had on her face? Was she…jealous? No. That's stupid. Weiss, jealous? Psh. Dumb idea._

Ruby yawned and laid back on her bed to take a nap, smiling at the idea. Weiss? Jealous?

Never.

**Author's Note**

**Chapter o Squee with a bit of a dangling hook thrown in. I didn't want to introduce Penny as just another student that Ruby meets FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER YEAH so I had her be the waitress at Goodwitch Café, which our foursome has become regulars at. **

**Not much to say about this chapter. Enjoy your squee-filled Chapter 12 – First Date, and have a wonderful day!**

**Spike**


	13. Rose Wars

Ruby was sitting at her desk, studying. It had been a long week, and she was grateful for Friday evening, when she could relax for a while. Papers coated her desk and she sifted through them, trying to locate her homework assignment.

"Aw man, I know it's here somewhere…hey Blake, have you seen my homework assignment from English?" she called out.

"No, why? Can you not find it?" Blake responded, messing with her hair in front of a mirror.

"No…where are you going?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Date." Blake said, smiling. "Seeing as Yang isn't allowed in here, I have to go to her now. So inconvenient."

"Shush. Well, have fun." Ruby said as Blake walked out, throwing up a hand as a goodbye. Sighing, Ruby returned to digging around on her desk when she encountered a folded up piece of paper with her name on it. "Oh damn it," she said, remembering.

She opened the paper, and sure enough, it was the note Penny had given her a few days ago. She had forgotten all about it. "Son of a…grr. Can't believe I forgot." She muttered as she pulled out her phone and dialed the number on the note.

It rang for a few minutes before she heard a "Hello?"

"Penny? It's Ruby!" she said, smiling.

"You called! I was getting worried about you! Are you alright? Is something the matter?" Penny sounded very concerned and serious, and Ruby giggled.

"No! No, I'm okay. I just wanted to tell you about Weiss-"

"I knew she was forcing you into this! I could just sense it. I have a sixth sense you know." Penny said loudly.

"Penny! She didn't force me to do anything." Ruby said with an exasperated tone.

A few moments of silence came over the phone before Penny responded. "What?"

"She didn't force me into anything. I asked her out!" Ruby said, smiling again.

"Ohhh I see. She's there right now, huh?"

Ruby groaned. "No, Penny. It's just me."

"I understand Ruby! I'll be right over to rescue you! Just tell me what dorm you're in."

"Penny-" Ruby said, trying to reason with her. Then she figured it would be much easier to do this in person, so she sighed and gave her directions.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Ruby opened it to find Penny in her green and silver blouse bouncing outside the door. She hugged her friend, smiling. "Hey Ruby!"

"Hi, Penny." Ruby said, smiling a little. "Now come on, sit down."

"Where's Weiss? Did she leave?" Penny asked, looking around. "I don't see her."

"She was never here, silly. She's been studying all evening, like me." Ruby pointed to her desk.

"But I thought you needed me to rescue you?" Penny said, looking confused.

"I don't need rescuing, Penny. I asked Weiss out first!" Ruby said, laughing. "She isn't forcing me to do anything."

Penny frowned. "Are you wearing a wire?" she whispered, staring intently at Ruby's chest.

Ruby felt a little self-conscious and shook her head. "What? No! Penny, what is with you?"

"Why would you date _her_?" Penny said, her voice strained. "She's always so mean! To everyone!"

"She doesn't try to be, she just doesn't know how to interact with other people." Ruby said calmly, sitting Penny down on her bed. "And she's actually really, really sweet once you get to know her."

"But…but she insults you all the time! She calls you mean things! How can you say she's sweet?" Penny said, her voice choking up a little.

Ruby was quite confused as to her reaction. Was this normal? Ruby put an arm around Penny and held her close. "Penny, we tease each other! At this point, 'dolt' is much less of an insult and more of a pet name. It's basically Weiss saying 'I love you' when she says it to me."

"It doesn't _sound_ like it." Penny said, burying her face into Ruby's shoulder, hugging her.

Ruby sighed. "Penny, trust me, I'm okay! I love Weiss, and I'm quite certain she loves me. She isn't mean to me at all!"

Penny shook her head. "Right. That's what she wants you to think. She's probably just manipulating you into being her slave or something!" she exclaimed.

Of course the universe chose this moment to have Weiss walk into the room.

"Hey Ruby, I'm done studying for the night. You wanna go…out?" Weiss trailed off as she saw Penny. "Um…what's this?"

"Oh. Hey Weiss. Can you explain to Penny that you love me and you aren't mean to me at all?" Ruby said, smiling apologetically.

Weiss stiffened. "What? I don't understand."

Penny stood up with a sniff and walked straight up to Weiss. "What have you done to Ruby?" she asked, uncomfortably close to Weiss's face. "The Ruby I know wouldn't date a big mean meanyhead like you!"

Weiss huffed. "I don't have to explain anything to a ruffian like _you_."

Penny blinked and turned to Ruby. "See? She's _mean!_"

"And you're annoying." Weiss said, sneering. "Ruby, can we go?"

Ruby wasn't quite sure what to do. She was very, very confused. "Umm…what? I don't understand what's happening here." She said, a very puzzled expression on her face.

Penny walked over and grabbed Ruby's arm and began dragging her away. "Come on Ruby, we're leaving!"

Weiss grabbed Ruby's other arm and tugged back. "I don't think so." She said, grimacing. Penny was stronger than she looked.

"Ow! Guys! Ouch! What are you, ow!, doing?" Ruby said, wincing as her arms felt like they were being tugged out of their sockets.

"I'm rescuing you!" Penny said, frowning.

"She doesn't _need_ rescuing!" Weiss said, tugging Ruby back towards her.

"No, I don't! Now please let me go!" Ruby said, but she was ignored as the two girls fighting over her fumed even more.

"Ruby, please explain to this _child_ that you are perfectly happy with me!" Weiss said, giving Ruby's arm another tug.

"No Ruby, you should tell her how you really feel! I know you wouldn't date her, she's not good enough for you!" Penny said, struggling as she leaned back, pulling Ruby another few steps towards her.

Ruby squealed in pain at this, and then Yang walked in and blinked. "Yang! Help me!" Ruby said.

In a blink of an eye, Yang had disengaged Ruby from the fighting of Weiss and Penny and was holding her tight in her arms.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" She asked as Ruby clutched her close.

"_I don't know!_" Ruby said.

Penny looked extremely frustrated, and with a loud exclamation of annoyance she stomped out. Weiss huffed and sat down on a chair, crossing her arms and legs.

"All I know is I walked in here to ask Ruby if she wanted to go get dinner, and that _hooligan_ was here and started accusing me of not loving Ruby!" Weiss said in a very insulted tone.

"And you thought the solution was to have a tug-of-war with my sister?" Yang asked, sheer disbelief in her eyes.

Weiss had no answer for that, and decided to simply look away. Ruby let go of Yang and plopped down on the floor, her back against the wall.

"My shoulders really hurt…" Ruby complained, rubbing her shoulders.

This got Weiss's attention, and she stood up and walked over, sitting beside Ruby. "Sorry…" she muttered. "Here, face that way." Weiss adjusted Ruby so her back was facing her, and she started rubbing her shoulders.

Ruby arched her back and starting humming. "Ohhh, that feels nice." She said in a very pleased tone.

Yang shook her head. "I still am not quite sure what the hell just happened." She said under her voice.

"What are you doing back anyway?" Weiss asked. "Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"Blake forgot her coat. I ran back up here to get it. She's in the car right now actually, so I should probably leave." Yang grabbed the coat and made for the door, but paused in the entrance. "Weiss? Try not to dislocate my sister's shoulders again please?"

Weiss looked hurt, but Ruby sniggered. "She won't. Now shoo." Ruby said, waving her hand at Yang. She winced and said "Ow. Shouldn't have done that. But still, shoo! Off with you!"

Yang smiled and walked off, whistling. After a few moments, Ruby turned to Weiss.

"So do I get any explanation for what just happened or am I just gonna be left in the dark here?" She asked, laying her head against Weiss's chest, looking up at her face.

Weiss blushed. "Um…I just…um…"

Ruby blinked and waited expectantly. "Yes?"

"Umm….I wanted to ask you out to dinner? And she interrupted?" Weiss tried, not wanting to admit she had become a bit possessive.

"Is that all?" Ruby asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes?" Weiss said, hoping Ruby would drop it. Luckily she did, and Weiss sighed in relief.

"Then let's go! Where to?"

…

Penny was in her room, crying. She was lying on her stomach on her bed, holding her cell phone in front of her. On it was a picture of Ruby Rose, smiling. It was a picture they had taken together not too long ago, for Penny's birthday. They had their arms around each other, and they were both grinning wide, holding up peace signs.

Staring wistfully at the picture, Penny continued crying as she slowly drifted off into sleep. As she went to sleep, she thought about her friend. Why was Ruby ignoring her? And dating that _bitch_ Weiss Shnee? Weiss didn't deserve Ruby.

Ruby was so nice. She was sweet, and kind, and always ready to help someone. She deserved someone better than that good-for-nothing, haughty rich girl Weiss. Penny knew she could do better.

She was better. In every way. She wouldn't insult Ruby, or treat her badly. She would always be nice to her, and she would never leave her. So why couldn't she see that? Why was she so blind?

As she fell asleep, Penny resolved to get Ruby away from Weiss. It was bound to fail eventually, she reasoned. Might as well speed up the process…

Ruby was _hers_. And she was going to get her.

…

Ruby and Weiss arrived back to find a sock on the handle of Weiss and Yang's room. The two girls grimaced and sighed.

"They'll probably take all night." Weiss grumbled, rubbing her temples.

"You can sleep in our room tonight if you like. I don't mind. Blake certainly wouldn't." Ruby offered, smiling.

Weiss jumped and blushed a little. "You sure? I don't want to be a bother."

Ruby was already dragging Weiss into the room. "It's no big deal. But I'm tired, so no funny business. Do you have pajamas?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, you dolt. My nightgown is over there." She said, pointing at the room across the hall. Ruby frowned and, telling Weiss to stay put, walked a few circles around her.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Hold on." Ruby said, going over to her dresser. "I have a spare pair of pajamas. You'll have to make do with a tank top, but these pants should fit you." Ruby tossed a pair of pink pants with a rose pattern on them at Weiss, who caught them. They were quickly followed by a white tank top.

"These, are, um, yours?" Weiss asked, blushing.

"Yep. Go try them on, see if they fit."

Weiss gulped and went into the bathroom. As she was pulling on the clothes, she inhaled deep. They smelled like Ruby. Weiss smiled and tugged the tank top on. It fit snugly onto her, and she twisted in front of the mirror a bit to look at herself. The pajamas pants, while a little baggy, fit perfectly around her waist and were _insanely_ comfortable.

Weiss walked out and Ruby smiled. "They fit! Good thing we have the same bust size, otherwise you'd probably be out of luck with the tank top."

Turning red, Weiss threw a pillow at Ruby, who caught it. Laughing, Ruby replaced the pillow and walked into the bathroom to change. "Get into bed, goofball."

Weiss looked back and forth between the beds. Did Ruby expect her to use Blake's bed? Or hers? They had shared a bed before. Unintentionally, but still. Weiss gulped and slowly walked over to Ruby's bed.

Ruby emerged from the bathroom to find Weiss curled up in her bed with the covers up to her chin. Ruby opened her mouth to explain that Weiss could feel free to use Blake's bed, then decided she had a better idea.

Weiss shivered as Ruby clambered into the bed beside her, wrapping her arms around her. Weiss pushed her head up a little bit and Ruby nuzzled her, kissing the top of her head. Sighing contentedly, the two girls cuddled up and drifted off to bed.

"I love you Weiss." Ruby said quietly as she fell asleep.

"Love you too…" Weiss responded drowsily, slipping off into dreamland.

…

Weiss woke up and panicked a little, feeling like she was being squished. But after a few seconds she realized it was just Ruby with her arms around her. Relaxing, Weiss turned around slowly and looked at Ruby. She looked adorable sleeping, she thought. She had a little pout on her face and her eyebrows were furrowed as she mumbled in her sleep.

_I wonder what kind of dream she's having. According to Blake, they can get pretty vivid_. Weiss thought, stroking Ruby's cheek with her fingers. She leaned in and gently kissed Ruby, blushing a little. _Am I a pervert for watching a sleeping girl like this?_ She wondered as Ruby's tongue darted out and licked her lips. She groaned and stretched, blinking her eyes open.

After a few moments of staring, she smiled. "Morning." She said sleepily, her eyelids still drooping a little.

"Morning." Weiss said, smiling. She kissed Ruby again and got out of bed. "Sleep well?"

"Really well. You?"

Stretching, Weiss grinned. "Better than ever. What do you want to do today?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "Lunch? Goodwitch Café?"

Weiss frowned. "Isn't that where that girl Penny works?"

"Yes. We're going to apologize." Ruby said, yawning. She checked the clock and blinked. "Holy crap, it's already eleven. We slept in."

Weiss pouted. "Do we have to? I want to have a nice day today."

"And we can have one, after you apologize." Ruby said sternly, pulling her tank top off as she messed around in her dresser.

Weiss would have argued more, but then she noticed Ruby wasn't wearing a bra. She squeaked and turned tomato red. Ruby turned around with a curious look on her face, then realized. She smiled sheepishly and covered herself.

"Sorry! I'll, um, get dressed in the bathroom." Weiss was unable to form words, so she just nodded, trying very hard to avert her eyes. She failed miserably, but Ruby just smiled and darted into the bathroom, starting a shower.

Weiss sighed and closed her eyes. Taking deep breaths, she thought about puppies. Puppies, puppies, puppies, puppies….Ruby…..without a top on….no! Focus! Puppies! Puppies and kittens!

Weiss continued this until Ruby emerged from the bathroom to find Weiss still standing in the same spot, her eyes shut. Smiling, Ruby wrapped her arms around her from behind and whispered "You okay?" into her ear.

Squealing, Weiss turned around quickly, her face still red. "Yes! Yeah! Fine! Just…perfectly…okay." She said, laughing nervously. "I'm, ah, gonna go across the hall. Get my clothes. Meet you in a few minutes?" Ruby nodded, giggling. Weiss dashed off.

Ruby sat down and grinned. Weiss acted very mature and adult a lot of the time, but there were still some times when she was really, really adorable. Giggling a bit, Ruby lay back on her bed and checked her phone. She noticed she had a text from Penny. Sighing, she opened it up.

_We need to talk! Come to the café around noon!_

Ruby smiled and began texting her back. _Already planning on it._

She almost instantly got a response.

_Great! I'll be waiting._

_ Weiss is coming too._

_ What? Why? _

_ You two are going to apologize to each other._

_ But I don't want to apologize! I did nothing wrong!_

_ No buts._

_ But…_

_ No buts!_

_ Grr….fine._

Ruby laughed and pocketed her phone. Penny could act like a bigger child than her sometimes, and it was quite amusing. Especially to Blake, who had on more than one occasion commented that Ruby was like Penny's mother.

Ruby always got a kick out of that, but Penny never liked it. Ruby never understood why though.

Weiss walked in, wearing her everyday clothes. "You ready?" she asked, seemingly recovered.

Bouncing up, Ruby ran over and hugged her. "Yep! Let's go!"

…

They arrived at the café to find Penny sitting at a table. When she noticed them, she smiled and waved them over. "Hi Ruby!" Penny said, jumping up to hug her. Ruby hugged her back, and Weiss tried very hard not to slap someone.

When they sat down, Weiss scooted her chair right next to Ruby's and put her arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. Ruby offered no complaint and snuggled up to Weiss smiling.

"How's your day been, Penny?" Ruby asked.

Penny had narrowed her eyes and was glaring daggers at Weiss, who was returning the favor. But when Ruby talked to her, she immediately brightened up.

"Good! Not very busy today, but we usually get a lot of people in the afternoon!" Smiling, she rested her head in her hands and stared at Ruby. "How are you?"

"Oh, um, we actually just woke up about an hour ago." Ruby said, giggling.

Penny narrowed her eyes. "We?" she asked curtly, shooting Weiss a look.

"My room was…otherwise occupied." Weiss said, straining to keep her voice even. "So we shared a bed."

"Is that so?" Penny asked, her eye twitching a little.

Ruby looked back and forth between the two girls, the animosity crackling in between them like electricity. She smiled and laughed nervously.

"H-hey, c'mon! We're all friends here, right?" she said, putting a hand on Weiss's shoulder.

Weiss relaxed a little and looked at Ruby, an apologetic look on her face. "Yeah. Sorry."

Penny harrumphed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. Ruby glared at her. "Isn't there something you two have to say to each other?" she asked pointedly.

Both of them turned their gaze to Ruby, who shrank a little underneath the daggery gazes of Weiss and Penny. But they both softened, and looked at each other.

"Sorry, Penny." Weiss said, her voice strained, but level.

"Yeah. Sorry." Penny grumbled, looking down at her feet.

Ruby smiled. "There! Now come on, I'm starving! Ruby need food."

Weiss giggled and waved over a waitress, who took their orders and brought them their drinks. As Ruby drank greedily from her soda, Weiss and Penny took this opportunity to glare at each other, and seemingly communicate telepathically.

Weiss, if Ruby hadn't been there, would have been explicitly explaining to Penny how Ruby was _hers_ and that she should back the hell off. Likewise, Penny would have been ranting on about how Ruby deserved someone better than the ungrateful Ice Princess she perceived Weiss to be.

But, as Ruby was present, they settled for shooting looks that could kill at each other. Ruby was utterly confused, as she had tried to explain to Penny before that Weiss did love her, but Penny wasn't hearing it, although Weiss being somewhat less than civil to Penny wasn't helping.

Ruby sighed and ate her lunch quietly, answering a question here and there but mostly staying quiet and glum. What was going _on_ with these two?

She had an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach that told her she would find out at some point, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

**Author's Note**

**Things are heating up! Weiss and Penny are duking it out in their own little Clash of the Titans and poor Ruby is caught in the middle! Whatever shall she do!**

**Well, most likely drown in a sea of confusion. **

**Anyway, here we have a chapter with equal amounts of White Rose Squee, Weiss Possessiveness, and slightly-terrifying Yandere Penny. **

**As always, please remember to review! It helps me a lot and makes me really happy when I read them! **

**So enjoy Chapter 13 – Rose Wars, and have a wonderful day!**

**Spike**


	14. A Wet Day of Fun

"Ruby? Ruby? Earth to Ruby?" Ruby heard someone calling her name, but didn't want to respond. She was too tired.

"Ruuuubyyyy. Get up, you dolt. You still owe me a nice day." Came the voice of Weiss. Ruby grumbled and turned over in her bed, away from the voice. "Don't make me come in there!"

Ruby chose to ignore the voice-that-sounded-like-Weiss, and decided to go back to sleep. Then she felt a rustling in her bed as someone crawled under the covers next to her and was slowly creeping their hands up her back. She giggled a little and squirmed, trying to get away from the tickly hands.

"Noooooo…" she muttered in a giggly voice, turning over, her eyes still shut. "Too sleeeeeppyyyyy…."

"Hey, you still owe me! Now awaken!" Weiss said, planting her lips onto Ruby's. Ruby woke up then, and kissed her back.

"Fiiine. You know I can't say no to you." Ruby said, smiling. She stretched and yawned, then stood up. "Anything you had in mind?"

Weiss sat on Ruby's bed and thought for a few minutes. Then she shrugged. "I just wanna hang out with you and not with…her." She said, 'her' obviously being Penny.

Ruby sighed. "I'm really sorry about Penny. I don't know _what's _gotten into her." Weiss frowned and pulled Ruby onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Well you obviously have to make it up to me, don't you?" Weiss said teasingly, kissing Ruby's neck. Ruby purred as Weiss slowly kissed her way up her neck and over her cheek, all the way up to her lips, lingering there for a few seconds.

"I guess so." Ruby said, smiling. She realized she no longer felt extremely embarrassed to be this way around Weiss anymore, and she turned sideways and snuggled into Weiss's shoulder. "I love you." She said sweetly, looking up at Weiss's face with puppy eyes.

"I love you too." Weiss said as she held Ruby close for a few moments. They remained silent, enjoying the moment.

Then Blake walked in. "Oh. You woke her up." She said, smiling.

"Hi Blake." Ruby said, not looking up at all. Weiss grinned and waved hello, and then maneuvered Ruby off of her lap, causing a cry of distress to emerge from the redhead.

"Sorry! C'mon, let's go out for a bit. There's a pool nearby, and it's still open. I wanna go swimming before it gets too cold, and it's a really nice day out!" Weiss said, smiling. "Sound good?"

Ruby grinned devilishly. "That depends on your swimsuit."

Weiss turned a shade of red that put Red Delicious to shame, and quickly left the room. Ruby giggled and sifted through her drawers. "I know I have a swimsuit in here somewhere…" she muttered.

"You two are getting on well then?" Blake said, smiling. She had sat down on her bed and was already reading a book.

"Yes! It's so awesome. Weiss is…just amazing. I love her so much." Ruby gushed, happy to brag to her friend. "She's so _sweet_ too! Like, in public she's kind of embarrassed to be holding hands and stuff, but it's so _cute_! And when it's just us she's the snuggliest, huggiest person in the world. It's amazing."

Blake laughed at Ruby's enthusiastic praise of her girlfriend. "So have you guys….y'know."

She let out an oomph as she received a well-aimed pillow to the face. "Quiet you! I won't hear talk like that in our apartment…dorm thingy." Ruby said, her face turning pink.

"So that's a no?"

"Shut up!"

…

Weiss took a deep breath as she shut her eyes. "Well? Is it too much? Not enough? Tell me!"

Yang walked in circles around Weiss with a finger over her mouth, looking very serious. "Hmm…I think you could stand to adjust this a bit…" she said, reaching out with a finger to inch a piece of clothing down a bit.

"Eee! Where do you think you're touching?" Weiss said, covering her chest.

"Hey, you asked for my help!" Yang said, grinning.

Fuming, Weiss opened her eyes and glared at Yang. "I asked for your opinion, not for you to grope me!"

"Not like you _have_ anything to grope." Yang shot back.

Weiss gasped and looked hurt. Yang realized she probably hit a nerve and quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry." She said as Weiss looked sadly down at her chest.

"Is it….cute enough?" she asked, still red in the face.

"Hrm…the suit is fine. But you should do this with your hair…" Yang muttered, darting behind Weiss and screwing around a bit with her hair. "There!"

Weiss looked in a mirror and discovered that she now had twintails. "Yang, whuh…what? You really think _twintails_ is a good idea?" she asked, running them through her hands.

"Are you kidding? Ruby will _melt_ when she sees you looking like that. Now put some clothes on and go get her." Yang said, grinning. She slapped Weiss on the rear, which caused the poor girl to yelp out in shock and begin throwing various objects at the blonde, who ducked out of the room laughing.

Weiss was fuming, but she quickly threw on a robe and sandals and packed a pool bag. She went across the hall and knocked on the door, and it was quickly opened by Blake, who was giggling about something. Waving her in, Blake sniggered and went back to her bed.

"What's so funny?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Ruby said from over by her bed, glaring daggers at Blake, who burst into a fresh bout of laughter, causing Ruby to glare even harder. Weiss looked utterly confused, but found the whole thing hilarious.

"Ruby, you got your suit?" She asked, giggling a little.

"In my bag, I'm gonna change there. You good?" Weiss nodded and the two girls set off.

Weiss got into the car and began driving, then noticed an uncomfortable feeling on her rear. She shifted around inconspicuously in her seat, but failed to fix the issue. She shifted a bit more, but this time Ruby noticed.

"Weiss? You okay?" She asked, looking a little concerned.

"What? Oh, yeah! Just, um, fine." Weiss said, shifting a little more, unwilling to remove her hands from the wheel to fix her…problem.

"You're really restless. Are you sure you're okay?" Ruby asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well….um….I kinda have…" Weiss said, blushing a little.

"Yes?" Ruby said, not sure what was going on.

"…I have a wedgie." Weiss muttered, keeping her eyes firmly trained in front of her. A loud cough and muffled laughing told her that Ruby found this immensely amusing, which displeased her.

"Hold on," Ruby said between giggles. "I gotcha."

"Ruby I'm wearing a robe, what are you going to doooOOOoo!?" Weiss said, her voice rising in pitch as Ruby reached inside the front of Weiss's robe, running her hand across her bare stomach.

Ruby blinked. "You're wearing a bikini under this?" Weiss nodded, her face red. Ruby giggled a little. "Weiss, you're such a goof. Now lessee…" Ruby said, shifting her hand to Weiss's back and slowly moving it downwards.

Weiss made little squeaking noises as Ruby's hand traveled down to her bottom. She let out an audible "Eep!" when Ruby began adjusting her suit as her hand brushed against her butt.

"Weiss, it's fine! I'm your girlfriend for Pete's sake, it isn't a big deal!" Ruby said, fighting to keep back laughter. "There, got it. Better?"

Weiss nodded, blushing furiously. Ruby found this extremely adorable, and kissed Weiss on the cheek.

…

The two girls arrived at the pool around noon, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, this meant that since it was a Sunday, the pool was crowded as all hell. Ruby frowned as she saw the fifty-odd people milling around the swimming pool. It was a pretty large pool, but fifty was still a lot of people.

"Well, I'm gonna go change. Go set up our stuff somewhere." Ruby said, taking her pool bag into the locker rooms, leaving Weiss to go find a spot to sit. She had undone her twintails before leaving her room, and she held the hairbands in her hand, debating on whether or not she wanted to replace them.

She found a spot on a grassy area by the fence separating the pool from the sidewalk that led to a playground. It was under a tree and provided some decent shade, and she set up her towel as she sat down. She inspected the hairbands and decided she'd give the twintails a shot.

After a few minutes of frustration, she realized she had absolutely no clue what she was doing.

"Are you trying to do twintails?" came a voice from her left. A black-haired girl sat on a towel, her long hair flowing a little past her shoulders. She held a cat of all things, and Weiss could have sworn the cat was grinning at her.

"Um, yeah." She said. "Could you help me?"

"Sure." The girl said, and Weiss noted she had an English accent. Standing up and walking over, the cat trailing behind, the girl sat behind Weiss and took the hairbands and went about setting up the twintails. "What's your name? I'm Alice."

"Weiss. Who's the cat?" she asked as the kitty came up and purred, rubbing against her knee. She petted the cat gently and scratched behind its ears, causing the purr to rumble even louder.

"That's Chessur. He's not mine but he follows me everywhere and lives in my house." Alice said, concentrating.

"He lives in your house?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Yes, that's what I said."

"But he isn't your cat?"

"I don't own him. He's free to come and go as he pleases. But he likes me, so he stays." Alice stated in a very matter-of-fact tone. Weiss was rather confused, but decided not to discuss the point further as Alice finished off the twintails.

"There you go. Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd best be off. See you around. Come on Chessur." Alice walked off and gathered her stuff. Chessur sat next to Weiss and looked at her for a few minutes. Weiss smiled at the cat.

Chessur bared his teeth in what seemed to be a grin before turning and sauntering off after Alice, who picked him up and he curled up in her arms. Weiss blinked and shook her head, not quite sure what she just encountered.

"Hey Weiss. Who was thaaaaaa…." Ruby said, trailing off at the sight of Weiss's hair. "Are those…twintails?" she whispered, pointing.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Weiss blushed. "Yeah. Do you not like them?" she asked, nervous.

"Weiss….." Ruby said, and Weiss waited for the tirade of comments that 'twintails were for little girls' and other such things. "I fucking _love_ twintails. I think my mind just short circuited seeing you like that."

Weiss blinked. That was unexpected. Ruby sat down next to her and reverently ran her hands through Weiss's hair, her eyes wide.

"You…look….._adorable_!" Ruby squealed, looking up and down at Weiss. "And I love that swimsuit!"

The swimsuit Weiss was wearing was jet-black and a two piece. The bottom was a g-string, and the top was a bit skimpier than Weiss would have liked, and it was strapless. But with Ruby ogling her, Weiss felt equal parts embarrassed and proud of herself.

"Um…thanks. You look nice too." Weiss said, blushing a little. Ruby was wearing a white bikini with a rose pattern on it. Ruby pouted.

"'Nice' is all I get?" she said, continuing to pout. "That's a bit insulting."

Weiss giggled. "Fine, you look adorkable."

Ruby laughed. "I look _what_?"

"Adorkable. It means dorky but adorable." Weiss said, laughing as well.

"I'll allow it. Anyway, we should put on sunblock. I don't need much, but you're so pale you'd probably turn into a lobster if we leave you in the sun for even ten minutes."

"And what's wrong with pale skin?" Weiss asked accusingly, but with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Absolutely…nothing." Ruby said, pulling Weiss close to her and kissing her. Weiss leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck, exploring her mouth with her tongue.

They broke apart and Ruby gasped for breath a little. Smiling and kissing Weiss again quickly, she said. "There'll be plenty of time for that later. For now, sunblock. Where is it anyway?"

Weiss untangled herself from Ruby and dug through the bag, pulling out the sunblock. "Right here. You wanna go first?"

Ruby nodded and grabbed the sunblock, rubbing it all over herself. Then she smiled. "Turn around."

"What? Why?" Weiss asked, looking suspicious.

"Just do it."

Weiss turned around and gasped as Ruby's sunblock-laden hands found themselves on the small of her back. Ruby slowly made her way up to Weiss's shoulders, rubbing in the sunblock. Once she was satisfied her back was done, Ruby slowly ran her hands down the length of Weiss's arms, savoring the feeling of Weiss's cool bare skin.

Weiss sighed in happiness as Ruby finished. Then she let out a little squeak as Ruby went back to her waist and slid her hands around to her stomach. "Ah, Ruby, what are you doing…?" Weiss whispered, leaning back a little.

"What? Should I stop?" Ruby asked teasingly, sliding her hands around Weiss's stomach, gently rubbing in the sunblock.

"Oh gods no…" Weiss murmured, leaning back till her head rested on Ruby's shoulder. Ruby grinned and slid her hands up to Weiss's ribcage, just below her swimsuit top. Weiss let out a small squeak of surprise, then a moan of pleasure when Ruby continued gently rubbing her.

Then Ruby went back down to her waist and gently brushed her fingers against the rim of Weiss's swimsuit bottom, and Weiss gasped. Grasping Ruby's hands with her own, she whispered "Not here! Not now…" and slid Ruby's hands back onto her stomach.

Ruby kissed the top of Weiss's head and smiled. "Kay. But now you gotta do me." Letting go of Weiss, Ruby turned around and lay face down on her towel, waiting.

Weiss smiled and gently applied sunblock to Ruby's back. When they were done, they stood at the edge of the deep end of the pool, holding hands. "Ready?" Weiss asked, smiling.

"No. I hate the deep end. But let's go." Ruby said, smiling nervously. "One….two…three!"

On three, the two girls jumped into the pool, holding their noses and shutting their mouths. A giant splash went up and they surfaced, laughing. Wiping water out of her eyes, Ruby grinned and began treading water.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Weiss asked, smiling.

"Cus I was with you. Now let's go that way." Ruby said, swimming back toward the more manageable section of the pool, Weiss following her.

No sooner had her feet touched the bottom of the pool did Ruby feel a splash of water on the back of her head. Spinning around with a gasp, she found Weiss with a hand held up to her mouth, giggling.

"You realize this means war, right?" Ruby said seriously, a smile on her face.

"Bring it, dolt." Weiss said, grinning evilly.

And Ruby brought it. Cupping her hands, she spun around, sending a tidal wave at Weiss, who let out a small scream and ducked underwater. She surfaced and sneered at Ruby. "Is that the best you can do?"

Weiss then clasped her hands together in a fist, and cut the water at a high speed, causing an even bigger wave to collapse down upon Ruby.

Yelling out, Ruby dodged, then flipped onto her back and began kicking water at Weiss, who dove underwater and got out of the way. Ruby was trying to pinpoint where she was when arms emerged from either side of her and pulled her underwater.

"Augh!" she yelled as she went under, taking a deep breath. She saw Weiss with a smile on even underwater, blowing bubbles out of her nose. Ruby flipped her the bird and then surfaced again, with Weiss popping up a few seconds after, laughing.

"That was cheating!" Ruby said, wiping her hair out of her eyes.

"All's fair in love and war!" Weiss crowed victoriously, her hands on her hips.

"Oh really?" Ruby said, a devilish grin on her face. Weiss blanched and tried to back away, but Ruby was too fast as she swum up to her and wrapped her legs around her stomach.

Ruby kissed Weiss as the white-haired girl wrapped her arms around Ruby. Then her eyes suddenly widened as she felt Ruby's hands…

"Hey! What do you…what're you…Ruby!" Weiss screeched, shoving Ruby's hands off of her chest and wrapping her arms protectively around herself. Ruby was dying laughing.

"Surprisingly firm for their size." She commented, sniggering.

"You little-!" Weiss gasped. "I'm going to _get_ you!"

"You're gonna have to catch me first!" Ruby said, swimming away as fast as she could.

"Hey! Get back here so I can punish you!" Weiss yelled as she swam after Ruby, kicking as fast as she could.

…

A few hours later, Ruby and Weiss lay side by side in the sun on their towels, drying off.

"That…was the most fun I've had in a while." Ruby said, sighing happily.

"I had fun too." Weiss said, smiling. Then she frowned. "Except for a _certain pervert_ over here attempting to have her way with me, today was pretty fun."

Ruby giggled and reached over, grasping Weiss's hand in hers. "I love you."

"I love you too, you big dolt."

"Ice Queen."

"Dummy."

"Frigid bitch."

"Pervert!"

Ruby and Weiss burst out laughing, and slid closer to each other, snuggling up. Ruby put her arm around Weiss's shoulders, and Weiss put her arm across Ruby's stomach as she lay her head on her shoulder. Sighing, Weiss closed her eyes. She wished that time could just stop for a little while, so she could stay like this for just a little while longer.

"Hey, we figured you guys'd still be here!" came a call from a certain blonde.

Weiss groaned and shut her eyes tighter. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep, she wouldn't be disturbed…

Yang walked up with Blake in tow. Yang wore a yellow bikini, with Blake wearing a black one piece suit. "Is Weiss awake?" Blake asked shrewdly, arching an eyebrow.

Ruby looked at Weiss, who looked asleep. She nodded and smiled. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Wanted to come swimming. We were otherwise occupied earlier though." Yang said, winking at Blake, who stuck her tongue out.

Ruby gagged and mimicked barfing, causing Yang to kick her leg. "Ow!"

"Anyway, we're gonna swim for a bit. Then do you guys wanna get dinner at the café?" Yang asked.

"Not the café. Penny's working there today, and she's still convinced that Weiss is the She-Devil in disguise." Ruby said, sighing. "I gotta talk to her about that."

"Alright, how about Taqueria? I'm in the mood for Mexican food."

Ruby nodded. "That sounds good. I could go for a taco."

Blake and Yang started doing laps, until Yang decided to attack Blake from the side, prompting an all out water war between the two. Ruby absently stroked Weiss's back as the white-haired girl slumped against her side, sleeping quietly.

Soon enough it was evening, and they all packed up and got dressed, ready for some food. As they sat at their table, Ruby grasped Weiss's hand firmly, and they stayed like that for the rest of the evening.

Yang observed the two with an odd diligence, noting everything they did. They constantly shared each other's food, stealing and or feeding each other bites off of the others plate. It was kind of adorable.

Blake saw her looking and leaned over. "What's up?" she whispered.

Yang smiled. "I know it's weird for me to say this," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "but I'm really, really happy it's Weiss that's dating my sister."

Smiling, Blake kissed Yang on the cheek and rested her head on her shoulder, rubbing Yang's back.

_Today was a good day_. Ruby thought as she ate some beef off of Weiss's fork. _Probably one of the best days of my life._

**Author's Note**

**Well I got bored already of writing conflict, so we're back to some serious high level squee. And some slight boner-inducing moments. **

**I seriously love writing these two, they're so fucking cute together. Don't worry, Penny will be back in full force next chapter, I just wanted to go back to full-on squee.**

**Also, some slightly bad/good news. Good news is, I'm planning another RWBY fanfic! Bad news, it'll cut into how often I can update this one.**

**I'm keeping the plot of this fic a secret for now, but I'll give you a few hints. First, it is set in the canon RWBY universe. Second, it's a crossover. **

**Third, I included a hint as to the story in this chapter. See if you can find it! **

**Please, please, please remember to review! It helps me out so much when you guys let me know you're out there, reading and enjoying. It means a lot.**

**As always, enjoy Chapter 14 – A Wet Day of Fun, and have a wonderful day.**

**Spike**


	15. Uplifting Hope and Gravity of Despair

Weiss groaned as she stretched and left class. It was her math class, and without Ruby in it, the class was quite boring. She yawned as she walked towards the cafeteria, as it was nearing noon. She thought about yesterday, and had to stop for a minute to regulate her breathing and to make sure she wasn't going too red. She had a lot of fun at the pool, but sometimes Ruby was too bold for her own good.

She sighed and marched forward, only to nearly collide with a certain redheaded archenemy of hers.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry I didn't see….._you_." Penny said, her voice turning from apologetic to venomous as she realized to whom she was speaking. "And what, pray tell, are you doing? Trying to knock me out?"

"Oh please. If I had wanted to knock you out, I wouldn't do it in such a clumsy manner." Weiss responded with a scathing tone, her voice colder than the North Pole.

Penny sneered. "Pah. You couldn't do anything to me, not without your precious Ruby bawling her eyes out."

"Don't talk about her like that! And I'm quite sure Ruby would thoroughly appreciate the thrashing I could give you if she only heard the horrid things you say when you aren't fawning over her."

"At least I actually appreciate her, unlike some other people I could mention." Penny spat, her eyes burning.

"Oh yes, trying to break up our relationship sure shows how appreciative you are. Friend of the year right here." Weiss shot back, her voice cool and level.

Penny's voice was less so as she balled up her fists, straining to keep her voice low. "Damn straight! You don't deserve someone as sweet, and kind, and as amazing as Ruby! You're just a frigid, uncaring _asshat_ with a complete douchecopter for a father!"

That struck a nerve, and Weiss snapped. "Well you're quite apparently wrong, because as it so happens, Ruby is _mine_ and not yours. She will never _be_ yours, understand that? And I might be an asshole sometimes, but at least I have _friends_. All I see you doing is moping around and fawning all over my _girlfriend_ who quite honestly finds your behavior appalling." Weiss's tone became heated and Penny quailed slightly.

But she quickly recovered and fired back. "We'll have to see how long that lasts, with how closed off you are. A girl has needs you know. And I think I could satisfy those needs far, far better than you _ever_ could."

Weiss was fuming as she tried to formulate a response. "What Ruby and I do together and how we choose to do it is none of your damn business!" she said, her face reddening with anger.

"Oh-hooo. So you haven't done anything yet? Tsk. Better hurry up Weiss, a girl can't wait forever!" Penny said in a cheery voice, but her face was anything but cheery as it was twisted into a terrible sneer with a look of derision in her eyes.

Storming off, Weiss was finding Yang's method of dealing with anger more and more appealing as she imagined slamming her fist straight into Penny's face. She didn't feel like going to the cafeteria now, and instead retreated off to her dorm room and made a quick salad, fuming.

…

Penny felt rather proud of herself as Weiss stormed off in the opposite direction. She went off towards the cafeteria to find Ruby sitting alone, looking at her phone. Her face was rather downcast as she looked around, brightening up slightly as she spotted Penny.

Sitting next to Ruby, Penny threw an arm around her shoulders. "Hey Ruby! Where's Weiss?" she asked innocently, knowing full well that Weiss was off fuming somewhere.

"I dunno, I tried texting her but she hasn't responded." Ruby said, a worried look in her eyes. "She usually meets me here for lunch after her math class is over…"

"Weird…it isn't like her to stand you up." Penny said. "Did you piss her off somehow?"

"No…I don't think so." Ruby said, sighing.

"I dunno, I just saw her in the hallway and she looked kind of angry about something."

"She did? Did you talk to her? Did she say where she was going?" Ruby gasped, firing off questions at Penny.

"I asked her if she was okay, and she wouldn't tell me. But she did mention that you were a much bigger…ah, 'pervert' than she thought. She wasn't too happy about it."

Ruby paled a little. "Oh nooo….is this about yesterday? Son of a…" she muttered, holding her face in her hands.

"What happened yesterday?" Penny asked, rubbing Ruby's back gently.

"We went swimming…we were teasing each other, having a splash fight. She dunked me, so to get her back I charged at her and…groped her a little." Ruby muttered, blushing.

Penny whistled. "How'd she react?"

"She scolded me, but she always does that. And we seemed okay after at dinner. But I wonder if she was madder than I thought…" Ruby said, her tone pretty downcast.

Penny pulled Ruby close, and Ruby rested her head on her shoulder.

"That sucks," Penny said, running her fingers gently up and down Ruby's arm. "But you'll be okay. You have me!"

Ruby giggled and nuzzled up to Penny. "Thanks. I know it was kinda hard for you to understand that Weiss isn't really evil, so thanks for trying. And for being my friend."

Penny frowned. "I'm still not convinced, especially with how she's acting now. She looked _really_ mad."

Ruby groaned. "I better go apologize…"

"No, stay! You didn't do anything wrong! She _is_ your girlfriend, right?" Penny said, pulling Ruby down as she attempted to stand up.

"Yeah? So?"

"So she shouldn't be so uptight about that stuff! A girl has needs, right?" Penny said nonchalantly as she sat Ruby down next to her and held her.

"I guess…." Ruby said as she leaned into Penny.

"Exactly. She should stop being such a goody two-shoes. I know that if I was your girlfriend I wouldn't be so uptight."

"That's because you're a massive pervert!" Ruby said, chuckling.

"I plead guilty." Penny said, squeezing Ruby's shoulder. Ruby laughed again, louder this time, and Penny laughed as well.

"Thanks for cheering me up Penny." Ruby said as she sat up.

"Anytime. Do you wanna hang for a bit?"

"Sure, seeing as Weiss hasn't texted me back yet. Why would she ditch me like this anyway?" Ruby said, pouting.

Penny let out a badly-concealed laugh, and Ruby looked hurt. "What?"

"I want to cheer you up but you look so adorable when you pout." Penny said, giggling.

"Oh shut up!" Ruby said, poking Penny in the forehead. "You're an idiot!"

"Hey, I'm not the one dating the Ice Queen of Beacon." Penny said, shrugging.

"Grrr…." Ruby growled as she hooked Penny's arm in hers and dragged her along. "Come on. Let's go find something to do."

…

Weiss sighed as she stepped out of the shower. A long, hot shower made everything a bit better, she reasoned. She checked her phone and saw five texts from Ruby and swore.

"Oh _fuck me_." She muttered as she read the texts.

_At the table! Where are you?_

_ Heeeey. Wakey wakey. Where u at?_

_ Weiss?_

_ Hey, I'm gonna hang with Penny for a bit, kay? Text me._

_ You know, if you're mad you should just come out and say it. You don't need to shun me like this_.

The texts were spread apart, the first three about five minutes each, then ten minutes till the next one, and the last one was only a few minutes ago, which was about fifteen minutes after the fourth one.

"That _bitch_!" Weiss shrieked as she realized what Penny had done. She tried calling Ruby with no luck, as it went to voicemail. "Oh come on, of all the times to not pick up the damn phone…" Weiss muttered as she threw on some clothes and walked out.

She bumped into Blake who was on the way back from the library. "Hey Weiss. You okay?"

"No. No I am not." Weiss huffed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go kill someone."

"Whoa, hold the phone. What's going on?" Blake said, grabbing Weiss's arm.

"That _bitch_, Penny, is plotting to steal Ruby from me!" Weiss said indignantly.

"Weiss, that's not true. Penny is just a very overprotective friend. Kinda like Yang, except worse." Blake said. "I'm sure she's not conspiring to take Ruby from you."

"But she _told_ me! She keeps telling me that I don't deserve Ruby, that she'd make a much better girlfriend!"

"She probably just has very limited experience with encounters with you to draw on, and you being mean to her isn't exactly helping." Blake said. "She's most likely just drawing a comparison."

Weiss wanted to scream. Why did _no one_ get it?

"Come on. If she is hanging out with Penny, you showing up is just going to spark a huge fight and you'll just upset her." Blake said, steering Weiss into her room.

"But-" Weiss protested, trying to convince Blake she was right.

"No buts. Come on, help me study. I have a big test in a few days and I don't really know what I'm doing."

Weiss knew this was bullshit, but she sighed as Blake gave her puppy eyes.

"Pleeeease?"

"Fine! Fine. Just stop doing that."

Blake giggled. "Ruby taught me how."

"I'm going to have to have a word with that girl…" Weiss grumbled as she plopped down at her desk, motioning Blake to sit next to her. "Alright, what is it you need help with?"

"Biology."

Weiss sighed and settled down beside her friend and lost herself for a few hours helping Blake through her studies, which she was having some legitimate problems with.

A few hours later, Blake leaned back with a groan and rubbed her eyes. "Okay Weiss, my fingers hurt from writing and my brain is refusing to accept any more information. Can we go for a walk or something?"

"Yeah sure, of course."

They left and heard a movie playing from inside Blake's dorm room. Weiss almost went in, but Blake held an arm in front of her and a finger up to her lips. They heard talking from inside the room and Penny's voice was clear, as well as Ruby's. They were talking about some class, and Weiss frowned.

"Come on. Let's go."

The two of them walked away and encountered Yang, who invited them over to the gym so they could see the kickboxing club in action. "We just started a meeting, I was just busting for a pee. Wanna come watch some matches?"

Weiss shrugged and Blake dragged her into the clubroom. They saw a few familiar faces as Sun and Pyrrha walked up to them.

"Hey! What're you two doing here? I didn't have you pegged as the kickboxing type." Sun said, grinning. He didn't have a shirt on, which Weiss found rather repulsive. She felt like she could _feel_ the stink of sweat in this room.

"We're just watching." She said tersely, looking for a place to sit. The club had set up a makeshift boxing ring in the middle of the room, and the place was devoid of chairs or tables.

"Just sit up against the wall over there then. You chose a good day to watch, we're running qualifiers today. We have a tournament coming up, and the winning school gets a big check and the winning boxer gets a trophy. But more than that, the winner gets some _serious_ bragging rights." Sun said, puffing out his chest. Weiss made a face.

Blake laughed and sat Weiss down. "So is there a reigning champion?" she asked teasingly.

Sun shot her a look. "I'll win someday you know."

"I'm currently the champion. I won last year." Pyrrha said, raising her hand. "This is only my second year competing, but I plan to win just as soundly as last time."

"So how do the qualifiers work?" Weiss asked, curious.

"People volunteer. Over the next two weeks, each volunteer fights in 3 matches. Whoever wins the most of their matches fights tiebreakers until we have our team of five. With thirty members, and pretty much everyone volunteering, it takes a while."

"I see." Weiss said, sitting down.

The club got to work as they cleared out the stuff around the sparring area. The first fight was Yang versus a larger boy. Blake let out a little gasp when Yang emerged from the changing room. Her feet were bare, she had very short black shorts on, and she wore a tight sports bra that exposed her midriff and her lower ribcage. She tied on boxing gloves and Pyrrha finished them off for her.

The bigger guy grinned as Yang stepped into the ring. They stood on opposite ends, then Pyrrha called the match. Yang blocked a few straight jabs to the face, but immediately lashed out with a kick to the shins, causing the guy to backstep and try a different avenue of attack.

This continued, with him trying to throw a punch and Yang landing a menacing kick to the back of his knee, his thigh, or his shin. Eventually Yang went on the offensive, and slammed her leg much harder than before into the back of his knee, sending him down.

He didn't get up, and Pyrrha called the match in Yang's favor. Blake clapped and Yang grinned, sweat dripping down her body. The fight had lasted about five minutes, as the guy could definitely take a hit.

"How come you didn't just lay into him right off the bat?" Blake asked curiously as Yang walked over.

"Too beefy. I can take a few hits, but he's just bigger than me. I had to whittle him down while playing defensive. If I had gone all in from point zero, he would have downed me with two, three punches. But he ignored his lower half and tried to land a hit, which wasn't working. So after I noticed him getting wobbly, I went in for the kill."

Blake stood up and embraced Yang, running her fingers through her hair and down her arms. "You're all shiny."

"I am? I should probably shower." Yang said, grinning.

"I never noticed how sexy you look when you're all sweaty like this…and the way you're dressed…mmm…" Blake said, gently biting Yang's neck.

"I'll shower later." Yang said quickly as she pulled Blake off towards the changing rooms, her face turning a little red.

Weiss made another face as she watched the rest of the matches play out. Pyrrha knocked her opponent flat on his back barely thirty seconds into the match, and Sun tanked quite a few punches from his opposition before a knee to the solar plexus took him out.

Sun collapsed next to Weiss, who quickly made distance. He pouted. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"You smell like a sweat factory." Weiss grumbled.

"A sexy sweat factory."

"You're disgusting."

"Am I your kind of disgusting?"

"I'm gay, Sun." Weiss said curtly. "Remember? You helped me get with my current girlfriend, your friends roommate?"

"I did?" Sun looked confused as he ran through his memories.

"The Halloween party?" Weiss said in an exasperated tone.

"The one where I got piss-drunk and remember nothing?"

Weiss sighed. "Yes, dumbass. That one."

"Oh."

There was a few moments of silence before he followed up with "So I'm _not_ your kind of disgusting then?"

That got a small laugh out of Weiss, and Sun grinned. "No, you aren't. You're just the regular kind."

"Psh, I am anything _but_ regular. Did you know that one time, I managed to eat an entire turkey on my own? And didn't get fat?"

"How big was the turkey?" Weiss asked, bemused.

"Hmm…pretty big. Like, those really big ones you see at the deli and wonder 'who the fuck needs that big of a turkey'. That kind of big."

Weiss laughed. "And you really managed to eat an entire one on your own?"

"Yup. Whole thing."

"How long did that take you?"

Sun blinked. "A month."

Weiss burst out laughing. "That just got a _lot_ less impressive."

"I dunno, living on turkey for a whole month is pretty damn impressive in my book." Sun said, shrugging.

"I'll give you that one, I suppose." Weiss said, giggling a little.

"So," Sun started, looking at Weiss. "Why are you here, watching sweaty guys and two very, very hot girls in relationships beat the piss out of each other when you could be with your girl?"

"Because I fucked up." Weiss said, shrugging. "I got really jealous of one of her friends. I was convinced she was trying to steal her away from me, but I've been thinking and I'm not really sure if that's true anymore. She might have just been really overprotective since…well, I haven't exactly been nice to her. Or most other people, really."

"You're being nice to me." Sun said, smiling.

"Yeah…I guess I am." Weiss said, smiling.

"So…why not just apologize to this friend, and your girl?"

"I don't really know how. I feel like if I tried I would just get angry and blow up again." Weiss muttered, staring into space.

"Hm." Sun said, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Do you love her?"

"Huh?"

"Your girl. Do you love her?"

"Um…yeah. Of course I love her."

"Does she know that?"

"I hope so."

"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about, right? Just go up to her and say 'sorry for being a bitch' then you make out and everything is hunky-dory." Sun said, waving his hand to emphasize the point. "And with her friend, you say the same thing. Minus the making out bit. I mean, unless you two are into that sort of thing-"

"Okay! Okay, I get the point!" Weiss said, laughing. "Thanks, Sun. You're not that bad."

"Sweet! Approval from the Ice Queen!" Sun said, punching the air. "I'm privileged!"

Weiss punched his arm and laughed. "Shut up."

"Anyway, what are you waiting for? Go get some!" Sun said, shoving Weiss up. "I bet you could get some serious loving if you act all mushy and girly and shit about this."

"Shut _up_!" Weiss squealed, but she was laughing. "I'm going, I'm going!" She turned to leave, but turned around and smiled. "Seriously though, thank you."

Sun smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Weiss grinned and ran back to her room, texting Blake an apology for bailing on her.

When she arrived, she heard weird noises from behind the door.

"Penny…what are you…doing?" she heard Ruby ask hesitantly.

"It's okay Ruby…I'm here for you." Penny said, her voice sounding sweet, but with something else. Like poison honey.

"Penny…no…this is bad…"

Weiss opened to door to find Penny kissing Ruby full on the lips. She had Ruby pressed up against the wall, her hands on either side of her, trapping her. Seeing red, Weiss raced forward and slammed her side into the two of them, and she twisted to find her hands forming a death grip on Penny's clothing. She heard a loud crack and someone screamed. She nearly threw Penny across the room, and she landed in a heap.

She walked over and stood over Penny, murder in her eyes, when Jaune, who lived a few dorms over, raced in.

"What the hell is going on in here?" he said, taking in the scene in front of him with wide eyes.

"She was…doing things…to her….trying to…trying to…" Weiss said, unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh _gods_ Ruby what the fuck…" Jaune said, horror in his voice. He ran over to Ruby, who was crumpled on the floor. A pool of red was forming around her and sinking into the carpet.

Weiss gasped and darted over, but Jaune shoved her away. "What the _fuck_ did you do to her?" he yelled, fear in his eyes.

"I didn't….it wasn't….oh god…" Weiss sputtered, tears streaming down her face.

"Call 911, now." Jaune said as he leaned over Ruby. "Oh Jesus this looks bad…."

Weiss called 911 and told them what was happening. When she looked up, Penny was gone.

…

Three hours later, Yang, Blake, and Jaune were sitting in a waiting room of a hospital.

Weiss had disappeared after calling 911, despite Jaune trying to get her to stay. She said nothing, but simply ran. Jaune called Yang and told her what was going on, and she had shown up when the doctors did. Upon hearing she was Ruby's older sister, the paramedics let her go on the ambulance with them as they carried Ruby down in a stretcher.

Blake and Jaune drove behind them to the hospital and when they had arrived, Yang made Jaune tell her in detail what had happened.

"I heard….someone scream. From Ruby's room. I ran over to see what was going on…and Weiss was standing over this girl. Penny, I think her name was. Weiss looked _crazy_. And I saw Ruby lying against the wall all crumpled up with blood just pooling around her…"

Blake covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh god…."

"She had broken ribs sticking _out of her chest_." Jaune whispered in horror. "I kept Weiss away from her, and she called 911. Then she just ran….Penny had left too, I didn't see her leave though."

Yang looked stone faced. "When I get my hands on her…" she snarled.

"Yang, no. She probably has a good explanation for what happened, and you get riled up way too easily. You need to stay here with Ruby, I'll go find Weiss." Blake said, her voice shaky.

"No, Blake, she had one job. One fucking job." Yang said, standing up.

Blake stood up quickly and placed her hands on Yang's shoulders. "Yang, listen to me. Whatever happened was an _accident_. Weiss loves Ruby, she would never hurt her on purpose. Trust me. I'll go find her, you stay with your sister."

Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath, tears welling in her eyes. "Fine. But if her explanation isn't satisfactory….well, she better know a _really_ good dentist."

Blake nodded, wiping her eyes. She darted out and got into her car, telling Jaune she'd be back for him later. He nodded numbly, and she wasn't sure if he even heard her.

As she drove, she only had one thought on her mind.

_If Weiss's explanation isn't good enough….Yang doesn't need to worry. I love Ruby too….just like my own little sister_.

**Author's Note**

**OHHH SHIIIIET. You done fucked up now Penny. And Weiss.**

**Well, I promised you drama. And you got your fucking drama. HAPPY? I'm not. This chapter was difficult as **_**fuck**_** to write. **

**Reviews make me happy, yadda yadda yadda, wonderful day and stuff.**

**I need to go lie down for a little bit. I feel dirty inside for writing this.**

**Oh, also, my new story is up. The Strife of Sanity. It'd be super awesome if you guys could check it out.**

**Spike**


	16. Love Mends the Wound

Weiss just ran. She didn't care where, or how far. She just ran. Eventually she found herself in the car, driving. Tears were streaming down her face and she couldn't think of anything except that she just needed to _get away_.

It started raining outside and Weiss pulled over. She looked around and saw she was not too far away from Ren's place. She pulled up and stood out in the rain, knocking on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened.

"Weiss? What's wrong? Are you alright?" Ren asked, pulling Weiss inside. "Get in here, you'll catch a cold…"

"Ren…?" Weiss whispered, standing stock still.

"Yeah?"

"Can you do me a favor…?"

"Yeah, sure. What do you need?"

"Can I stay here for a little while?"

Ren opened his mouth to ask why, then noticed that not all the wetness on Weiss's face was from the rain. He closed his mouth and nodded, pulling Weiss towards a spare bedroom. She stood near the bed, not sure what to do.

"Hold on a minute, I'll get you some clothes. You're soaked." Ren said, disappearing down a hallway.

Weiss just waited, her entire body numb with cold and shock. When Ren returned, he had a shirt and a pair of pajama pants in his hands.

"They might be a bit big, but I'll run your clothes through the dryer for you. They'll be dry by morning. Can I get you anything? Tea, something to eat?" Ren asked, putting the clothes down on the bed.

"No." Weiss said, staring blankly into space.

"Alright…well, hurry up and change. Don't want you catching a cold." Ren said, pointing her towards the clothes.

_I'd deserve it._ Weiss thought as Ren left the room. She slowly undressed herself and pulled on the dry, slightly oversized clothes. She sat down on the bed and waited for Ren to return.

"Hey, you all good?" she heard a voice from the hall.

"Yes."

Ren came in and collected the wet clothing and handed it to one of his buddies, who nodded at Weiss and left. Ren sat next to Weiss, not sure what to do.

"You sure I can't get you anything?" he asked after a moment.

"Sleep." Weiss said, lying back on the bed, pulling the covers over her.

Ren sighed and left the room, turning out the light. Weiss cried softly into the pillow until she had no tears left, then she slowly felt herself drifting away to sleep.

…

Blake drove to the dorm and checked both rooms. She didn't find Weiss, not that she expected too. She guessed the most likely spot would be wherever Penny is, and then realized she didn't know where Penny's room was.

She knocked on a random door and it was opened by a sleepy-looking girl with her hair dyed green. "Yeah? Whatchu want?"

"I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour, but it's kind of important. Do you know which dorm room a girl named Penny lives in? She's about as tall as me, red hair?"

The girl thought for a moment. "Crazy-Obsessive Penny? First floor, the room on the right next to the stairs."

Blake thanked the girl, who grunted and closed the door. Running down the stairs she arrived outside Penny's dorm room and knocked.

"It's open." She heard from inside.

Opening the door, she found Penny curled up, rocking back and forth on the floor.

"Are you…are you alright?" Blake asked, not sure what was going on.

"No…I almost had her….she was almost mine….then she came in and stopped it…stopped me again…just like always…" Penny whispered, not really paying attention to Blake.

_She really is obsessed._ Blake thought, slowly backtracking out of the room. Penny didn't seem to notice as the door shut and Blake ran back upstairs, dialing Weiss.

There was no answer. She tried Pyrrha, Nora, and then finally Ren.

"Hey, I was wondering when one of you would call." Came the voice from the phone.

"Oh gods is she with you?" Blake asked, relieved.

"Showed up outside my door, in the rain, crying. Asked if she could stay here for a little bit. I almost asked why, but figured I'd get an explanation from one of your group in due time. What's going on?"

Blake laid out the details, and Ren let out a whistle.

"Damn. She's asleep now though, and I think even if you woke her up she wouldn't say anything. After asking if she could stay, she became very mono-syllabic in her answers to whatever questions I had."

"Thanks Ren," Blake said with a sigh. "I'll pick her up tomorrow, okay? Just make sure she doesn't run off."

"You can count on me." Ren said.

"Good. Bye." Blake said as she hung up. She headed back to her car and drove to the hospital.

"Did you find her?" Yang asked as she walked in.

"Sort of. She's at Ren's place right now, sleeping."

"Then we should go get her!" Yang said, jumping up.

"Yang. It is currently…late as fuck," Blake said, not really feeling like checking the time. "And we're all tired. Any encounter _any_ of us have with Weiss right now is not going to resolve anything. I'm going to go get her tomorrow, Ren won't let her run away. So let's just wait here. Alright?"

Yang grumbled, but sat down.

…

A few hours later, a doctor walked into the room. "Who here is," he said, checking is clipboard quickly. "Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang jumped up. "Is Ruby okay? Did you fix her?"

The doctor smiled softly. "She had three broken ribs, one of which managed to puncture her skin and the other got her lung. Do you remember exactly what happened?"

Jaune shakily raised his hand. "From what I understand, Ruby was pressed up against the wall in between that and another person, and Weiss, a, um, friend, kinda tackled them and squished Ruby against the wall."

The doctor arched an eyebrow. "Then she got really unlucky. She must have gotten hit at just the right angle to make the rib break the skin."

"Is she okay?" Yang asked again, getting a bit closer to the doctor.

"She'll be okay. She's sedated now, but we managed to patch up her chest and she should be ready to go home in about a week or so. After that it'll take a month or so for recovery, but rest assured, unless we're caught by surprise by something, as long as she takes care of herself she should make a full recovery."

Yang sighed with relief. "Thanks, doc."

"It's nothing. You should all go home though, Ruby won't wake up until morning at the least. We can call you as soon as she's awake."

Yang wanted to stay, but Blake pulled her away. "Yang, we can't do anything here. Let's get some rest."

"Yeah. I think waiting here longer will just drive me crazy." Jaune put in.

"Alright…let's go." Yang sighed, defeated. "I'm tired."

…

They arrived at the dorms and crashed into bed, Blake opting to sleep in Yang's bed, not wanting to see the bloodstain on the floor where Ruby collapsed. Yang offered no protest as Blake crawled into bed next to her and snuggled up her head resting on her shoulder.

Morning arrived, and after eating a quick breakfast, Yang drove to the hospital and Blake to Ren's house.

Ren opened the door with a small smile when he saw Blake. "Hey. She's back here, eating. She hasn't spoken."

Weiss was sitting at the table, picking at some pancakes. Her expression was blank, and her eyes were red and puffy. Blake walked over and sat opposite her.

No words were spoken for about ten minutes, and then Blake spoke up. "Ruby's going to be okay."

Weiss's head shot up as she stared Blake in the face. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it and nodded.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Blake asked softly.

Weiss didn't say anything. She pushed her plate forward and placed her elbows on the table, hiding her face in her hands.

"Weiss…don't make me have Yang interrogate you about this. I don't want that."

"It was an accident." Weiss whispered, her voice hoarse and raspy.

"Elaborate."

"I arrived outside the door…to apologize to Ruby and Penny for acting the way I did," Weiss started. "I heard them saying…strange things. And then when I walked in, Penny had….Penny had Ruby pressed up against the wall. She was kissing her. I had heard Ruby telling her to stop, but she kept going."

Blake sat in silence, waiting for Weiss to continue.

"…I saw red. I charged forward, not really thinking. I just wanted Penny _off_ of her…I heard a crack, and a scream. I thought it was Penny. Then Jaune showed up and….and…and…" Weiss trailed off.

Blake stood up and walked around the table, pulling Weiss up. Flinching, Weiss grimaced in preparation for a slap or a punch, or whatever was coming. But what she wasn't expecting was for Blake to wrap her arms around her.

"Weiss I'm so sorry…I should have listened to you when you were talking about Penny…if I had listened to you, none of this would have happened…" she said with her voice choked up a bit, holding Weiss close.

Weiss awkwardly hugged her back, saying nothing.

"Do you…do you want to come to the hospital with me?" Blake asked hesitantly.

A few moments of silence, then Weiss nodded. She was already dressed in her clothes that she had worn last night, dry thanks to Ren. They left, with Blake muttering thank-you's and apologies to Ren, who just waved them off.

They arrived at the hospital, and Yang marched up to Weiss, who hid behind Blake.

"There had better be a _very_ good explanation for this." She growled at them both, and Weiss whimpered a little at her tone.

"Yang, it wasn't Weiss's fault. I'm not even sure if it was her that did it, it could have been Penny." Blake said, putting herself in between Yang and Weiss.

"We'll see about that. The doc said Ruby's waking up, so I thought I'd wait for you."

"She is? Can we see her?" Blake asked, worry in her eyes.

"In a few minutes." Yang said, sitting down. Blake led Weiss over and sat down next to her , holding her hand gently.

The doctor arrived after a moment. "Your sister is awake now, Miss Xiao Long."

Yang jumped up and nearly ran up to the doctor, who led her to where Ruby was staying. She opened the door and cautiously approached the bed. Ruby was blinking awake.

She was shirtless, but she was wrapped in bandages, and a cast. "Yang." She croaked out. "Hey…"

"Hey Rubes…how are you?" Yang whispered, gripping Ruby's hand.

"Well let's see. One of my best friends just tried to _rape _me, I have a punctured lung, and my ribs are broken in three spots. So I'm doing pretty great." Ruby said, her voice laden with sarcasm.

Yang let out a nervous laugh and gently stroked Ruby's cheek with her hand. "The doc says you'll be okay in a month or so, as long as you take care of yourself."

Ruby nodded, smiling. "That's good. They fixed my lung already he said, otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you."

Smiling, Yang inspected the cast. "So how itchy are you underneath that?"

"You have _no_ idea."

They both chuckled, Ruby wincing at the pain. "Is it just you here?" Ruby asked.

"No, Blake is here…and…Weiss." Yang said, grumbling.

"Yang. Don't get mad at Weiss, okay? It wasn't her fault. Penny was….was…_touching_ me. And kissing me. I don't think she was going to stop either, so honestly I'm happy Weiss showed up. Besides, Weiss didn't hit me that hard. It was Penny that crushed me into the wall." Ruby said, poking Yang on the nose.

Yang grumbled. "Whatever. I'll go get them."

As soon as Yang walked into the waiting room, Blake jumped up. "Can I-"

"Yes, Blake. You too Weiss. Go see her." Yang said, smiling. Blake darted off as soon as Yang told her the room number, Weiss trailing behind. Yang grabbed Weiss's upper arm as she walked by, and she flinched.

"Weiss. I just wanted to tell you that…oh fuck it, come here." Yang wrapped Weiss up in a bear hug and kissed her forehead, swaying from side to side a little bit. Weiss hugged her back, burying her face into Yang's chest.

"I'm sorry Yang…" she whispered and Yang growled.

"Don't say that. It wasn't your fault. Wasn't your fault." Yang whispered back, and the two girls stood there for a few moments like that before Yang let go. "Go see your girlfriend."

Weiss didn't need telling twice as she walked down the halls to find Blake sitting next to Ruby's bed, grinning.

"Weiss!" Ruby said as she saw her come in. "My hero!"

Weiss blushed as she slowly approached Ruby's left side, her expression turning guilty as she saw the cast. "I'm not your hero." She muttered.

"Yes you are. Penny was doing terrible things to me and you saved me." Ruby said, reaching up to grasp Weiss's hand with her right arm.

"Some saving I did. You're in a hospital!" Weiss cried out, gripping Ruby's hand.

"Better a hospital than therapy." Ruby said softly as she pulled Weiss down and kissed her. She stayed like that for a moment before breaking off and smiling.

Weiss looked like she wanted to cry. "You are such…a stubborn…idiotic…._dolt_!" she said as she put her arms around Ruby's neck, careful of her chest, and hugged her. Ruby lifted her arm and patted her on the back.

When Weiss broke off, she sniffed. "But you know what?"

"What?" Ruby asked, smiling.

"You're _my_ stubborn, idiotic dolt." Weiss said, smiling wide.

"And you're my Weiss." Ruby said simply, her smile turning wide too.

Blake made a face. "Are you guys _trying_ to make me throw up?" she said teasingly.

"Yes." They answered at the same time.

Blake burst out laughing, which caused Weiss to laugh, which caused Ruby to laugh.

"Ow! Ow. Okay, laughing is bad right now." Ruby said, grimacing.

"Sorry." Blake said. "Anyway, I'm gonna go fetch Yang. Then we can all hang out and watch TV for a bit or something. Do you think we could get pizza delivery here?"

Blake continued rambling to herself as she walked off to find Yang, leaving Weiss and Ruby alone.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Mhm?"

"Since you're my girlfriend, that means you agree with me on stuff right?"

"No, but go on."

"If I say Penny is the biggest, meanest bitch in all the land, you'd back me up right?"

"Oh most certainly."

"Penny is the biggest, meanest bitch in all the land."

"Definitely."

…

Blake and Yang returned to find Weiss and Ruby with big grins on their faces. With a look, they both agreed to not ask.

The doctor was at first reluctant to let them order takeout, but after relentless begging from Yang, Weiss attempting to be charming, and finally a double order of puppy-dog eyes from Blake and Ruby, he caved and let them order a few pizzas.

They also called Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren and told them to come. They ended up having a quiet little party inside Ruby's rather cramped hospital room, but no one really seemed to mind.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Jaune said as he gave Ruby a hug. "You scared me."

"Sorry, Jaune. Won't happen again."

They marathoned a few movies on the laptop Ren had brought with him, and soon enough the pizzas were gone and other duties were creeping up.

Blake left, saying she really needed to study for a test tomorrow. Yang and Pyrrha had kickboxing, and Ren and Nora were going on a date, which invited much slapping of backs and squealing of girls.

Eventually the room was cleared of everyone except Ruby and Weiss.

"Don't you have stuff to do too?" Ruby asked, smiling.

"Oh, tons." Weiss said offhandedly, making absolutely no move to get up from Ruby's side.

"So…you're not leaving then."

"Nope."

"Well, as long as you're here…"

"What?"

"My boob itches."

"Ruby!"

"What?! You're my girlfriend, help me!"

"But…"

"Weiss….please?"

"…pervert."

**Author's Note**

**MMMMMFEELSGOOD. **

**There we go. Proper squee. Much better. **

**SO. We're sixteen chapters in, I've run out of plotlines, and I have another story (The Strife of Sanity. Alice in Wonderland crossover, read it! It's totally badass!) to work on. **

**This means some slightly bad news. I'm gonna put this story on hiatus for now. **

**HEY. OI. PITCHFORKS DOWN. ON THE FLOOR.**

**Better.**

**This does **_**not**_** mean I'm done with this story. Not by a long shot. We still have to get into Weiss's father, which will be a whole bucket of fun, we do technically still have to deal with Penny, who will be making one last appearance, and also I have much, much more squee to write you guys.**

**But the problem is I'm getting some **_**severe **_**writers block with this story. So we're gonna call these 16 chapters Arc One of Every Rose. I'm gonna put a Completed mark on this story and when I have a decent idea of what the everloving fuck I'm doing with this, I'll put up Arc 2 as a separate, new story.**

**So don't unfollow this one! When Arc 2 is up I will post a quick chapter on here saying so. But don't be expecting anything for a good month or so.**

**In the meantime, if you like me as an author and can't get enough, try reading my other story! It's an Alice in Wonderland crossover with RWBY, and I'm quite proud of it. It's an idea I've been sitting on for quite a while now, and I think I've done it justice so far. It has an actual plot, unlike this story, so I think it'll do well.**

**Now to address a few complaints about the last story.**

**Ruby couldn't have broken her ribs in such a way because of a shove**

**Incorrect. First of all, it wasn't a shove. Ruby got mooshed in between a very hard wall and Penny, who most definitely could have injured Ruby on purpose as a sort of 'if I can't have her no one can' sort of measure. Secondly, bones can break simply by falling off a chair at the right angle. A squish into a wall can certainly do some serious damage if you're unlucky, which Ruby was.**

**Blake is a hypocrite for being protective of Ruby**

**This has some merit, but think of it this way. Everyone is in shock, their best friend/girlfriend/sister is hospitalized and none of them really know what happened. Yeah. Anyone would be going a little nuts here, which is why we see Yang going a little punishment-crazy and Blake having to hold her back.**

**Anyway.**

**This will be the last chapter of Every Rose for a while as I think about what direction I want to take this story in. It is **_**definitely**_** not over. But you guys will have to wait about a month or so for a new set of chapters.**

**Enjoy the squee-inducing conclusion to Part 1 of Every Rose Has it's Thorn, and have a wonderful day. And please review.**

**Spike**

**PS: You can find my other story here: s/10731465/1/The-Strife-of-Sanity**

**PPS: It isn't White Rose, but it's still awesome.**

**PPPS: Totally not self advertising.**


	17. UPDATE!

**Heyo! Really good news for you guys!**

**I managed to get some very, very unexpected free time this past few days. So I hunkered my ass down and wrote not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE FUCKING CHAPTERS OF THIS BITCH. **

**So Every Rose will be coming back, much, much sooner than anticipated due to the universe having a heart after all! **

**Thanks to the massive amount of writing I was able to do, I have a huge buffer. So that means that, for now at least, I will be able to stick to a regular updating schedule for this fic! Neat, right?**

**These five chapters will be updated at a spaced out pace, and I'm now going to try sticking to a regular updating schedule. Unless things go too crazy, like I lose internet connection or something, this fic will hopefully update on ****_Thursdays_**** and ****_Mondays_****. That's about three days in between each chapter. **

**The chapters will be going into a new story, as planned. Keep an eye out for 'A Frost Covered Rose', the title of the 'second season' per say, of this story. Frost Covered Rose will concentrate much more on the outside struggles Ruby and Weiss face because of their relationship, most notably Weiss's father, but will also be much more focused on the actual relationship and life of the girls. **

**Unlike Every Rose, where the biggest timeskip we'd have was a week, I'm going to be using timeskips more often, and larger ones. This will hopefully allow for slightly longer chapters in some cases, along with the ability to tell a more widespread story. Whereas Every Rose was the story of how Ruby and Weiss got together, Frost Covered Rose will detail how they live their lives afterwards.**

**As the story goes longer, the timeskips will jump further distances and we'll see them moving further along in life. I don't have a specific time in mind for an ending, but there won't be anymore of this universe after Frost Covered Rose is ended. But I DO have another White Rose story in the works, although it's on the back burner right now. **

**Anyway, I'm rambling now. A Frost Covered Rose will be going LIVE and ready for you to read at 12:00 Midnight in US Eastern time. To clarify, it's about 10:30 as I'm writing this up, so 90 minute countdown! **

**Y'all ready for this?**

**Spike**


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